The Great Empire of Valm
by Hellfire and Obsidian
Summary: Ladon was born alone, to the death of his family. The emperor of Valm trained him in the ways of the blade to deal out death. Thus he wanders the world, only taking orders from his master upon whom to kill. He scours nations for death, and a quick source of gold all the same. Until he finds a rich prince and a friend. (OC X Fem Robin. H-scenes-eventually. Swearing.)
1. Premonitions

It is said that if you wish to awaken the gods, you'd best give them a show. It is also said that if one were to challenge a beast, you'd best be prepared to face his fangs. I knew these sayings and their lessons very well, but I heeded them not one whit on this day.

I stood in front of the throne of a mighty king, an unborn god given mortal flesh. He was a powerful, mountain of a man with cloud colored hair and blood red armor, crowned with the horns of a demon upon his head. He rode upon a steel armored stallion, possibly the best threaded and best bread horse of the land. It must have been the strongest, toughest and fastest—while most beautiful and powerful stallion to be found on the continent. In his hand he held the axe, his most powerful weapon. The axe was giant, red and black like his armor, and it was that same axe that destroyed whole lands and armies that opposed him. He was powerful alright, he might as well have been a god.

I stood as a twig challenging a forest. I wore a very dark brown coat over a dark undershirt, both which had their sleeves rolled up to have my hands covered in brown leather and dark red fabric gauntlets. Attatched to my waist were small belts that held a couple pouches where I ould keep a small number of curative medicines and the sheath for my sword. Baggy and yet slim ebony pants covered my legs and agility centric black fine boots were from my shins down to my feet. Wrapped around my neck and my shoulders was a midnight black neck wrap that had enough leftover fabric to hang from my shoulder down to my mid back. Upon my head was a black leather hard headband that was just below the hairline for my crimson fiery colored hair that was combed and worn straight flowing back, yet wild and full. In my hand was a jagged and black longsword that looked like a broken crab's claw in shape. But the blade was sharp and fine, unbroken, and to my knowledge it would never break.

I stood not alone. At my side stood a woman, with long umber hair, peachy skin and a white partially revealing coroset underneath a black hooded coat with ritualistic purple markings all over the coat and golden detail around the buttons of the middle and the sleeve cuffs. On the inside of the coat she wore was a red-violet velvet and below her waist she wore a black and gold short sash over white baggy leggings that gave way to brown and gold boots on her feet. She had moderately sized lips with thin and dark eyebrows, with those ovalular condescending and yet sly eyes of hers the color of darkness itself. She held in her hands a steel sword and a yellow book with one of the symbols for the thunder spells.

Saying no words, she and I both dashed forward to the enemy on his horse ready to rain steel and thunder upon him. But before a bolt or blade could even touch him, he took one hand and swung horizontally the mighty axe of his kingdom. The force was so undeniably strong that it tossed the two of us back through the air, as I watched the distance between us and the enemy lengthen as a blood red fine carpet still led to him and he stood, not moving an inch. Seconds and meters later, we touched down upon the ground, stopping our movement. "You weren't kidding, Ladon." the young woman told me. "He's stronger than most men."

I chuckled and smirked to her comments of what transpired. "So are you." I remarked. "And you're smaller than he is."

She smirked at me in irritation and ridicule. "Oh, hah hah hah. You're hilarious."

Behind us came the sound of a sword cleaving through armor and sinew, as the two of us looked back to see a blue haired strong looking man wearing noble Ylissean armor with a navy blue, silver and white palette, a silver shoulder pad and a white cape that hung from said piece. On his other arm, no armor was found but a dark blue glove upon his hand from fingers to wrist. His bare shoulder revealed something of a birthmark that I knew to be the brand of Ylisse's royal family crest. His sword was a golden-like blade of elegant and yet straight and sturdy craft. It emitted a sacred luminescence, like a holy light that was not yet fueled from its state as embers. He was strong looking, but yet elegant, handsome and friendly to us—as if he was a prince.

Once he finished with his enemy, an anonymous soldier wearing his nation's armor and holding an axe, the prince walked over to us. "Ladon, Susanna. I thought you were running ahead." he told us his assumptions.

I gave him a snide look as gestured to the enemy king. "Why sure, you're highness. Care to take a join us?" I sarcastically asked him.

He offered me a look of disappointment. "Sarcasm is really unbecoming of you." he told me.

"Noted." I snapped.

He smiled in confidence as he looked upon the king. "Victory will be ours, I know it."

I smiled with a renewed confidence. "Alright then." I declared. "Onward, my friends! We will get nowhere by standing around!"

And thus we rushed forward, a prince, a swordsman and a girl of thunder. Susanna cast her hand forth with all of her strength, and thus the golden bolts of lightning converged into a singular white column of static energy. I slashed forward while coming down from a leap into the air, grunting as I swung down. The prince dashed forward with all of his speed and available power, releasing his strength for a puncture stab at this king. And he met us in kind, riding forward on his stallion to strike at us with his axe.

As Susanna's spell, and our blades pierced into the king, we knew our victory was assured, until I saw himmuster up his strength to sunder my body with the aze, splitting my head open without allowing me to shout out in pain. As darkness overtook me, I fell at blinding speeds into a pool of nothingness and shadow. My body felt like I was going to be torn from my own flesh until I found myself on my feet in the middle of a battlefield. The grass was grey and green, and brushing violently in the winds and beeing sprayed heavily by the rains. The clouds were dark and potently blocking out sunlight, glooming out this mountain battlefield. And on this mountain, my charge faced towards an enemy whose back was to the sea beneath him. Holding my blade tightly, I saw with my own eyes what the enemy beheld to me. They were not alive, I knew that much.

They were living shadow. Walking, but veiled under the cloak of death were these things, once soldiers, people, alive. Now they were useless husks, wandering for no good reason but carnage and battle. Their eyes glowed with a lifeless sickly light that showed that they spurred on by nothing more than hatred and hunger. But even these unholy contrivances of existence didn't frighten me as much as **he** did. He rode once more, upon a great and powerful horse. The horse bucked back on its hind legs, neighing as any horse would. But this stallion was the product of conjuration and unlife now, as it made the demonic sounds of a horse that hell spat out. And that same king rode his steed once more, still holding his mighty axe. "You really thought you could escape me, boy?" he asked me, his voice full of power.

He was no longer divine in strength, but demonic. He had not the beating heart of man, but he still looked as alive as he ever did. But as thunder flashed bright enough, I saw his skeleton and rotting flesh underneath his filthy and mossy armor, his horse now rotted and full of maggots where the ravens have eaten his eyes. I swallowed down a lump in my throat as I sneered at him and took stance with my sword. "You're not looking so sure yourself." I retorted to him.

"Hmph." he grunted as we stood at equal distance from one another. "Come at me and finish the job that you so obviously failed to accomplish when you had the chance."

I grunted in disapproval and anger as I ran at him. At the same time, his horse stormed at my direction as he raised his axe, a great halberd of death. As we clashed, darkness took over everything and all was darkness once more. Only this time something **else** happened. Wave cuts of light pierced and cleaved into the wayward darkness as well as bursts and bashes and grand strikes of deathly ethereal flames and magic.

And from that darkness came the sight of the ocean on the horizon, the feeling of gravitational suspension and a hand grasping onto my head. My body was battered, broken and bleeding, my head felt like a poorly cracked egg. I sputtered and struggled for air as I hang in suspension from his grasp, my lungs feeling clogged up with blood. "Worthless." the king said as his hand let my body go, and I fell swiftly and limply towards the ocean.

I found no mercy as the wind gave me little cuts as I fell. Or when I splashed and broke a little more of my weak and broken body upon the water's surface. I was drowning in my own blood anyway, and not the salt of the sea was incinerating me through the cuts and nooks on my body. I wanted to scream, but it would only leave bubbles filled with the taste of agony. "Coming." Susanna's voice whispered to me.

My mind wa slwoly beginning to choke out. "Coming." her voice called again as it appeared.

Swinning up from the dark depths of the ocean came a giant reptillian monster with slim and welcomingly deadly jaws lined with many teeth. "Coming to eat you, Ladon!" she screamed at me as the titanic monster opened its jaws, approaching me quickly.

And with the sound of meat and bone tearing, sinew crunching under pure muscle, and a slurp of a monstrous gulp, came the everlasting darkness that none returned from.


	2. Amateurs

"Oh, come on. Hey!" a woman's voice shouted sternly.

"Hey!" a young girl's voice cried out. "You shouldn't be so mean!"

"Well, he shouldn't be asleep in the middle of the dirt. Get up or I'll gut you like a fish!" she demanded.

Grunting unpleasantly, I opened my eyes to find two people standing over me. One of them was a young, mid tall looking woman with short black hair, put into a spiky tight afro. Her eyes were almond shaped with those partially thick eyebrows over those chocolate iris eyes. She had a rather petite nose above those thick lips of hers. Her skin was a light shade of tan, and she held in her hands an iron forged axe and a bag of seeds—possibly food for livestock or crops. She wore the standard type of clothing for villiagers and commoners, pale rags that were naught but a brown color at best.

The other one was much finer dressed, and much younger all the same. She looked to be fairly short, while wearing a fine black and pink dress. She had red hair, a rich auburn with her hair in a tail on the back of her head with stray bangs over her forehead. Her eyes were full of innocence and kindness, a lighter brown, copper color to the foxlike eyes she beheld. I made small sounds as I rose to my feet and stood over them. Closing my eyes and yawning, I rubbed the back of my head to relieve myself of the feeling of hair distortion. "I'm awake, I'm awake." I told them.

The little girl brightened up with such innocent affection in those twinkling eyes of hers. "Oniichan!" she cheered as she clung to my leg, the tightness reflecting that same affection and that same innocence.

The girl was about three feet tall, which made a lot of sense for her to be hugging my leg, but if not her, I'd be freaking out about such an area being clung to. Seeing this little girl, I smiled to myself, but I kept a still expression. Looking up from her, I saw the woman with the axe. "I must have interrupted you before I woke up." I told her as I slightly bowed my head. "I'm sorry. We needed a place to rest our heads once the moon hit rooftop last night."

She closed her eyes and breathed out an exasperated sigh, with a smile pressed onto her lips. "No, it's fine, it's fine. That girl was actually very pleasant and helped me out around the place. You wouldn't know it unless you've had her cooking, but she's quite good." she dismissed and complimented.

I looked down to her, my face now flavored with surprise with my eyes widened a tiny bit and my brows both raised. "Since when could you cook?" I asked her.

She gave me a screamy, serious and yet cheeky angry face. Not fiery or full of hatred, more like irritated at a fact I didn't know. "I've always known how to cook!" she squeaked out.

"I don't believe you." I flattened her argument.

She was pounding softly away at me with her tiny little fists, closing her eyes tightly and srunching her lips irriatedly. "I know how! I know how! I know how! I know how!" she kept repeating.

I turned to the other woman. "I hope you don't mind if I ask for some food." I requested.

The woman smiled at me, squinting her eyes. "Yeah, uh huh." she said as she pulled out a wooden square lid flask that was steaming from the top and offered me the flask. "I hope you like soup."

I took the flask and poured into my mouth gently, so that nothing would overfall onto me and burn me. The thick and warm liquid flowed easily into my mouth, and I instantly remembered this taste. It was cheesy, tangy, full of kick and flavor, it was amazing to me. "Mmm... I guess you **can** cook, Hikari." I complimented her flatly.

She looked up at me with that big cutesy smile, her eyes twinkling and glistening with those rosy cheeks. "I'm so glad you like it, Oniichan!" she bubbled out.

"I never said that I liked it." I pointed out.

Her smile, her radiance, immediately morphed into gloom and tears. She looked mortified by this, in a comic display of sadness. Fat and heavy tears globbed out of her eyes as she looked up at me like a mewling kitten. "You don't like it?!" she cried out. "Y-you're s-s-sooo meee-eee-eean!"

"I love it. You should make it again sometime." I turned her around once more.

She beamed out in joy once more, giggling as the tears practically evaporated. "Yay!" she cheered as she hugged me tighter.

"Yeah, your sister's a very good cook, stranger." she complimented. "Maybe you two should come back here."

I looked to this smiling common woman, my expression now blended with seriousness in my eyes as I maintained my plain face. "How did you know she was my sister?" I asked.

She stammered back half a step from the sudden punch of intimidation, her expression was broken into submissive fear to the intensity of my words and my voice. "Well, I assumed, since you both have red hair—I didn't mean to—." she studdered.

"—I appreciate you looking after my sister and allowing her to help you." I thanked, cutting her off. "Nevertheless, we're leaving."

I began to walk as Hikari clutched onto my arm and tugged on my hand, causing me to stanch in my movement. "Oniichan, come on! We just woke up! We could at least show appreciation!" she whined.

As I had my tongue ready to lash out my deafeating argument, I heard something that didn't sit well with me. The infinitesimal crackling of a faraway torch. The pounding of feet, swiftly making way closer and closer to us. I heard breathing, grunting, panting and laughing of gruff men growing louder as the distance closed in. My eyes flickered with anger as I grunted and turned my head back in the opposite direction of which I desired to walk. "Hikari." I signalled to her as I turned my gaze back down upon the girl, allowing her to discern my message from my eyes alone.

She absorbed the information from my eyes, and she gasped inwards, the breath catching in her throat. "Oniichan, are you sure?"

"What, you leaving already?" the woman chided. "Worthless, shameless piece of—."

Hikari let go of my hand and I took my hand to my hip to find the sturdy hilt made of sandalwood with a bandage grip. The material was old, and yet fresh, like well preserved lefotvers from a separate project of construction or medicine. "Go inside of your house." I ordrered her.

Feeling the grip in my hand, I swiftly unsheathed my blade. The sword was long, sharp, strong and ebon in material. The shape of the blade was like that of a menacing unholy thorn branch or a crab's bone claw that was broken and refitted with metal with three prongs not dissimilar to fangs. The sword barely reflected the sunlight with a silvery clouded glare, the metal weapon feeling heavy and yet light in my hand. It simply felt like the perfect balance for me, as my glove gripped perfectly with the papery material coating the hilt. "Hikari,you make sure that everyone closes and locks their doors before coming to my aid." I ordered her in perfect sequency.

"Or, what?" the woman argued. "Why should I listen to—?"

"Oniichan says that bandits are coming here!" she answered the woman.

Ignoring anything else, I strode forward, holding my blade in my hand before I realized a simple truth. "You are to stay hidden." an old, sturdy man's voice ordered me. "Nobody must know."

Remembering these words in my ears, I grunted as I sheathed my sword and grabbed another hilt, taking out an ironforged large sword with an equally heavy wide blade. The sword was not going to be as favorable with me, but it was all I needed nonetheless. Grumbling in displeasure, I walked down the main road until I found that I was in the center of town. The town itself was mostly a simple place, wooden architecture for the buildings of commerce and houses, grassy fields and dirt roads all around, and quite an amount of farming patches for vegetable and animal farming. All the while, it was a good environment to live in and peaceful way to go about your needs. The problem is, though, these places are the constant targets for hunting and feasting for bandits. Going over this fact with my surroundings, I clenched my teeth in my closed mouth, looking ever forward at the incoming threat. _This is going to be trouble,_ I grumbled to myself as I swung my sword back and forth twice to loosen up my wrists. _But, you've gotta get some quick cash somehow._

I stood there stoically, looking dead onward upon my enemy. Upon their entry into the town, they came immediately to me, the only person who was not cowering or hiding from them. Their leader was a bulky man, hunched over in his posture and wearing hide rags and iron as armor. He held a big bronzed axe over his shoulder, and he had such a bulky shaped and damaged looking face with these giant white bugged teeth with long flimsy black hair. He looked like an ass that you'd keep only for carrying your heavy items. "You the protector o' this here town, lad?" the leader spat as he asked me, stepping forward ever so slightly.

"You here to raid folks who've done nothing but work for an honest day's payment?" I asked in response.

He snorted in humor at my response. "You think you can just say stuff like that to me freely? Yer funny lad." he downput me with a repulsive smile.

Keeping my disgust hidden, I shook my wrist free of any potential weaknesses to strain one last time. And we stood there in stalemate. That was when I took the opportunity to look upon his men. Six of his men were holding iron swords, two of them were myrmidons—I could tell by the robes that they wore, two of them were holding them backhandedly—which made me convinced that they were thieves, and two of them had iron plating on their tunics by the shoulders and they were dressed more like well prepared commoners. These last two were the standard mercenary class, the slower of the fighting swordsmen types. The thieves were fast enough, but frail and weak. The myrmidons that I saw were my only peers, even though I could tell by their stance, posture and expressions that they were rookies, only used to dealing out against the defenseless. Aside from the donkey and his swordfighters, there were two mages. One of them held a green book in his hands, while the other held a purple book in his. One of them was in the standard animage apprentice's garbs with that old and unappealing look to the strange palette of black, red and brown with violet mixed in the wrong way. The other one was wearing dark black and purple robes that were partially tattered and torn just a little amount, he also wore a skull piece that looked to be the standard helm for a dark magic user, charmed for partial control of the arcane power.

I stood there unintimidated by these thugs, staring down their leader. He nudged his head forth and snorted. One of the myrmidons and one of the mercenaries ran towards me, both of them preparing to team up their two swords to slash at me in one single combined swoop. The mercenary was the stronger one but the clower one, so he came a little bit behind the leading myrmidon. The bandit boss smiled victoriously as they both came in for the kill. I scoffed through my nostrils as I grabbed my sword with both hands and swung in an upwards arc with all of the speed and force that my muscles would allow me. With a sound of meat ripping and metal klanging loudly, a slim sword and a broad sword of iron making for the stronger and faster fighters flew through the air, and landed upon the ground, stabbing into the earth. The myrmidon and the mercenary were on their knees, missing hands on their arms. The wound bled with such an ameteur gush of weakness before they looked up at me in a pitiable fashion, and with one single handed slash, I lopped off their heads and let them roll over to the halfway point between them and I.

Without a second's notice, I heard the crinkle of a moving pebble behind me. I flipped my sword to be backhanded as I used my left hand to punch at an unsuspecting thief's neck, causing him to yipe and gag from choking on the sheer force of my punch. Then with my right hand I drew upwards with a backhanded sword to slash his throat nearly off as blood sprayed from his neck. Pencil turning 180 degrees, I flipped my sword to forehand as I slashed down with the broad iron sword, tearing through meat, sinew and bone as I cleaved the last thief in complete halves, as he was only allowed a loud boiling and bubbling cry of fear and pain before it all became gurgles and phlegm mixed with blood clogging his throat. "Hmph, piece of filth." I insulted as he fell to death in front of me.

I took my sword to backhand as I used two hands to shove the blade back and to my left just a hair in order to brush past my body. My sword made its way deep into the entrails of the other mercenary, piercing all the way through his torso and out his back by the tip's edge. He grunted and gurgled, sputtering out in crushing defeat as I forcefully tore the sword out through the sides of his body and swung my blade in a full moon circle; soon after, a myrmidon's body slid into a building's wall and his head tumbled a good distance away in the opposite direction. I felt little to no satisfaction in murdering these bandits, because they left no resistence to their death as I struch them down. They didn't provide a challenge. They were meager, at best. But this wasn't their best day, was it?

"Kill him!" the bandit ass brayed at the two mages.

I was closest to the one with the green tome in his hands, so I simply rushed at him first. "Yeah." I repeated as I swiftly sliced and cleaved him in half, watching his blood pour all over the ground at their feet and I looked to the bandit chief and his last mage. "Kill me."

Just as the mage was going to cast his hand at me and chant a spell's words, I noticed something that I didn't truly expect to come into play. A threefold small bolt of golden lightning struck upon the dark mage, and his body fell to electrified cinders and char next to the last bandit. He stood there before he began backing up in his steps, shuddering and soiling himself while he tried to bray out his ugly voice once more. I looked at him with deathy seriousness hidden by my plain expression. "Light out while you can. Hie on with you, ass of the bandits." I commanded.

He flamed up at this as he drew up his axe. "You know not who you be speakin' to boy!" he brayed as he leapt back a few steps and took the the air in order to swing down upon me. "I am the chief! I am—!"

"Dead." I finished as I took a singular step forward and I shoved my blade upward with only my right arm's force.

The blade pierced in so deep it went all the way down to the hilt of my sword, before I took up his fat lard body and threw it against the ground. After that spout with a bunch of amateurs, I was splashed in fresh blood and my right glove was absolutely soaked in blood. I spat at the ground before I put the iron blade away. "Oniichan!" Hikari's voice called out to me as I looked up to see her running to me.

She ran to me with such speed, like she could be her own horse, and she leapt into my arms, holding something in her hands and smiling up at me. "Oniichan! Did you see me? I zapped that stupid magic bad man and saved you!" she bubbled at me.

I furrowed a brow at her. "That was you?"

She put on her super angry face, cutesy style, but still flustered. "Yes it was me! you know I'm good at magic, Oniichan!" she shouted piercingly loud, making echoes across the town and even the outer valley.

"You know magic?" I asked.

She growled as she flicked her wrist a few times and cast her hand forth, yelling at me as I stepped backwards to evade the strike ofbitter lightning on a clear day. "See?! I can use magic Oniicha—!"

"Calm down, I was just joking." I said in utter monotone.

She crossed her arms and looked away from me. "You have no emotional differences, Oniichan! You're so hopeless! You're gonna end up—!" she kept yammering away.

By that point, I was halfway to the other side of town, just walking and ignoring her while she stood there. "Keep talking, Hikari! Keeeeeeeep talking!" I called out to her.

_Gods, I seriously hope that someone out there has so much money that even __**she'll**__ shut up._

XXXXXXXXXXX

Neither Hikari or Ladon knows that somewhere in the fields of Ylisse's provinces, Chrom sneezes.


	3. On the Verge of History

"Oh thank you! Thank you so—!" a barely well dressed old man with mid class fine clothing and a monocle over his eyes began to cheer out at me, while in front of the people he reperesented en masse.

"—Three thousand gold." I demanded bluntly, dead of any emotion in my eyes.

His breath caught in his throat as he stood there, befuddled by my sudden demands. Particles of a second later, his people gasped and murmured in suspicion. "Wait—what?" he asked me. "I must not have heard you. Were you...?" he tapired off in his question, falling silent.

"I didn't studder. This town is worth a lot more than three thousand, that's just in work and crops alone. I can see that there's lots of trade going on normally from all of the market stands and crops." I explained to him. "I can take that to note and charge you **thirty** thousand if you feel—."

He swiftly shoved out a skin pouch full of jingling and clinking gold coins, his body and his arms shuddering and shaking as he looked at my face, contorted in fear. "Four thousand!" he cried out.

Silently, I took my toll of the gold in one hand and I rubbed my head with the other. "You're town is a nice place. Everyone has their price, though." I reasoned my actions to him as I walked away.

Hearing the murmers, whispers and newborn rumors behind me as I continued to pace forward, I saw Hikari walking slowly up to me and I noticed as her eyes shifted from the money within my pouch to my face. Her eyes gushed out disappointment as she frowned at me. "Oniichan, where'd you get that money?" she beseeched me.

"We have to eat too, Hikari." I told her as I looked down to her face. "If we weren't protecting them, I know as a matter of fact that they'd've lost a lot more than a few thousand gold."

"But Oniichan, no matter how much you took, you still took from them." she argued with me as she jabbed a finger into my chest. "You robbed them, and said it was for protection!" she accused me.

"I have no intentions of using this money for myself." I told her as I kept walking. "So just accept that nothing is free but birth and death." I ordered with a weight of seriousness in my voice as I turned my head slightly to her. "Unless you'd like to simply leave me."

She came up to me and held tightly to my hand and she looked up to me with such innocence and love in her eyes, matched only by the seriousness and argumentive flavor of her expression. Her hair bounced in crimson auburn waves as she looked up at me and I could tell that she put speed in her approach. "Never, Oniichan! I can't live without you!" she professed loudly to me.

I looked down at this little girl, and I felt the stone of my chest begin to pulse and shake with warmth as I smiled, infinitesimally to her. She responded to my smile as she gave no warning to her leaping into my arms, clinging to me tightly. I staggered from the sudden addition of weight and tumbled down to one knee as I wrapped my arms around her while still holding the money. "I know..." I agreed with her as I got back to the matter of our traveling. "Now stop whining about it. Roads don't walk themselves."

She let me go and smiled at me with those glimmering eyes of hers, really big and doubly so cheerfully. "With your sense of direction, the roads might as well fly." she retorted.

"Hey!" I complained, partially monotonously, the other half being in complete surprise.

She giggled and soon that sound became playful laughter. "You know it's true, Oniichan!" she insisted. "It's like that time when we were on that ship. You were so lost you couldn't find your bed."

I became plainer now, trying to keep myself at somewhat of emotional control. "You were lost too, Hikari."

She beamed up at me. "But we were lost **together**." she said. "So we were bound to find our way, right?"

"That literally made no sense whatsoever." I told her as we kept walking down the road.

Walking all of that distance would completely dry out lots of people, heck, it would make them practically complain to themselves or whatever higher power they believe in for the whole duration of the journey. But I had company, in the form of a little redheaded girl named Hikari. She and I kept bantering back and forth between one another as we walked down the beaten roads, over the hills and fields of grasses, crops with farmers and their flowers. Horses and sheep were grazing with the cattle around us; Hikari would always point out the small things, like how funny the dumb things that animals did was. I noticed that throughout the few hours that she and I had been walking, she still held onto that tome. "You're still carrying that thunder tome?" I asked her.

She looked up to me in response. "Hm?" before she realized that I meant the book she held and smiled while giggling at me. "It's an Elthunder tome, silly."

"Since when can you use intermediate magic?" I asked her.

She squinted at me, as she turned a little blue and sweat dropped down her head. "You're hopeless, Oniichan."

Looking forward, I kept talking. "I'm just curious, Hikari. A guy's gotta ask these things."

"Just because you can't use magic doesn't mean that everybody else can't either, you know." she reminded me with a hint of snobby attitude.

"I don't need to use magic." I told her. "I was taught how to wield a sword, not how to mumble and make sparkles come from my hands."

She turned a fiery red as she stuck her tongue out at me. "Magic takes knowledge just as much as swinging a metal stick around, Oniichan! You have no tact!"

"That reminds me, where did you get that book?" I asked her, completely changing the subject.

The inferno of irritation died down rather quickly, like a bubble popping, and she looked down at its cover. "I got it from someone."

Raising a brow, the questions began to rise as I looked down to her. "That's a little bit vague."

"So, I was doing what you told me, and I made people close their doors and stuff right?" she started off her story.

"Correct."

"Well, then this really nice old lady handed me this book. And she said, 'drive off those mean old ruffians so I can go to the market!'." she finished. "And that's how I got it."

I now became a little weighted by seriousness. "Are you sure you're fit for actual battle, Hikari? I mean, surely you know that you're gonna have to pay for a new tome when that one wears down. Nothing's free." I asked in concern.

She smiled up at me really wide. "What about the sword you always have with you?"

I gave a humored "hmph!" as I smirked at her. "You're learning too much from the people you meet."

She and I kept talking more and more until we found another town in the near distance. Hikari cheered in that super cute way as she ran, pulling my hand and looking up at me. "Come on, Oniichan! Let's go shopping!" she yelled out. "Please please please please?" she begged as she gave me the biggest, saddest puppy dog eyes.

I rolled my eyes and groaned in exasperation. "Hikari, why do you think we're going to this town in the first place?" I asked her.

She gleamed up and did a little excited dance. "Yay!" she cheered out as she tugged me with amazingly surprising strength into the town.

I was in possession of four thousand gold pieces when we were to start the rounds of shopping. I had my fair share of doubts that we wouldn't have that much money by the time that we'd leave. I hoped against my knowledge of her and against all things true, I prayed that I'd be wrong.

With that, we made our way into the town, first to the market. As we shopped from stand to stand, I made sure to pick up the necessary supplies that we'd need in order to eat and sustain ourselves for the next few days. We saw a few weapon stands too, but I needed no weapon yet, my blades were just fine. I kept silent for a good amount of time while I carefully chose our supplies and our provisions. It wasn't hard to chose what I would have for my own food, I can hunt and kill something and it'd be fine. But Hikari wasn't one for freshly murdered meat in the wild, so I had to weigh down with some ingredients and other things to keep her happy. Then, I felt something inside of my back, like the chills of a haunting scene of deja vu, and for some reason it made me think very negatively and darkly.

"Oniichan! Oniichan!" Hikari's voice called out at me, breaking my tension.

I was filling up a brown satchel with various food produce and curative items for Hikari's dinners. I was mostly well packed with such things, and thankfully I was able to get them at a meager price of two thousand gold. Tomatoes, leeks, airtight sealed meat in boxes, lettuce, potatoes, a wheel of cheese and a few flasks of apple and berry mix ciders; all of them were at a practical steal, and I almost felt like I was glowing, or I was going to float away, or even turn into such a happy little girl like Hikari. Until I saw that she held up a green book and a purple book in either of her hands. "I almost forgot, I took those books from the guys in that other town, should we sell them?" she asked me.

I felt my heart stop as I realized that I had **just** promised that other town's folk that I would allow them to sell them and gain some small coin, my eyes erupted fearfully. "Hikari... when did you get those tomes?" I asked her.

"Before we left and before you got the money." she answered me blankly. "Why?"

I was silent for a few moments as I imagined how angry those people would be, thinking that I swindled them. How they'd be lighting torched, brandishing weapons and pitchforks. "...Good find, use them wisely." I encouraged her quickly.

She gleamed at me in such a comic display of love. "Arigato, oniichan!" she bubbled out at me.

_Oh save me, gods. This little girl's gonna kill me._ "Alright, I got enough food to last us a few days." I told her as I saddled up with my satchel. "Is there anything you want? We have a total of two thousand left, so enough to—."

"**Run!** Bandits!" a woman screamed as I saw her running frantically, holding a small child in her hand as she sprinted away.

With those two words, three syllables and an intensely raised voice, chaos ensued the town market. I stood there, still and unmoving as I shuddered and shook ever so slightly, brimming with rage as pure murderous intent clouded around me in a demonic aura, and I felt a fitcticious scary effect cosmetize my face. I spoke no words as I put the satchel down gently and I took out my blade. "Go into the middle of the town and find somewhere to hide." I ordered Hikari as I saw her take up the bag and sling it over her back as she ran off into the madness.

The only thing was, she held Elthunder in her hand as she inserted into the mass of madness. _Oh, shit! I said 'hide' not 'fight'!_ I yiped out. _Hikari! Don't be foolish! Hikari!_ I began to chase after her.

"Oy! You there! Yeah you!" I heard a slanged voice call out to me from my left as I slowly and yet quickly turned my head warily.

I saw three men, two of them were thieves and one of them was a mage, as I easily depicted from the clothing and the fact that the one in the middle held a red book in his hand. "We're looking for recruits to join our cause, you see? We were wondering if—." the smirking and snobby sounding mage began to banter before I stood behind the three of them, a burst of wind force surrounding us in a circle.

Seconds later, a mass spray of blood ensued from multiple gashes and slices on their bodies as they fell sloppily to the ground. "Hikari..." I grumbled needily as I walked forward, casually and controlledly.

I noticed a few mercenaries coming at me, as if they saw that I had stricken down their comrades in the raid. That mattered not though, as I prepared myself for combat. "Out of my way." I ordered them.

If there was one thing you'd know about their kind though, it's that they never listen or think.

—

**Susannah POV**

It was thrilling and yet terrifying to be in battle for me, considering that I had woken up on the ground not that long ago. I barely even remembered that I knew how to weild a sword and a tome of magic, yet here I was taking down bandits with these people. Looking around briefly, I saw all of them. Chrom was a blue haired man with rather stunning armor and striking features about him, he looked like the type to be a knight in shining armor for all of the dreams of a damsel in distress. Easy on the eyes, friendly with me and with others, he wasn't bad at all. Next to Chrom stood his younger sister Lissa, with blonde hair and a rather nice black, white and yellow fine dress. She stood by him to use her cleric's healing staff in order to heal him of minor wounds sustained from any scrapes with these resident bandits. Then there was a man I didn't like all that much as of late, a brown haired knight named Frederick. He wore thick light blue and white armor, and rode sturdily on his horse, also armored. In his hand was a powerful lance that he used to simply sweep enemies out and mow down on them with sheer power. I didn't like him because of his hostile attitude with me, but I respected power when I saw it.

In my arsenal was an ironforged sword and a thunder tome. Most of these men could only attack physically, so I played it safe and kept using magic so that they couldn't hit me. It was the smart thing to do, since Lissa was too far away to stop me from bleeding out if I suffered any injuries or fatal wounds. I took position next to what should be a merchant's business stand so that enemies wouldn't see me and I could hide while catching my breath. I wanted to prolong and sustain my chances of victory and suvival as long as possible, for I was all alone in my position. _Oh, man, I really don't want anybody to attack me right now. _I pondered to myself as I took an immensely comfortable breather. The thing about comfort, though, is that it can be misleading. I found that out for myself when a gust of magical wind struck at me and knocked me back a bit, and rather harshly. "Agh!" I yelped out with one eye closed as I retaliated with a thunderbolt upon him, which did relatively minimal damage to my attacker.

"Susannah!" Chrom called out to me as I saw the wind mage move to cast another spell, which I knew would finish me then and there.

The bandit mage chuckled before a stronger bolt of thunder fried him where he stood, and he fell on his face with a loud _**thump**_! "Hey, nice move Susannah! Very nice!" Chrom complimented me.

Though I enjoyed the compliment, I had to tell the truth of the matter. Turning my head back to him, I called out, "That one wasn't me!"

Just then, a little girl walked up to me. She was wearing an all black dress with a fluffy and fuzzy pink scarf, and pink and red thread details along small belts and the shoes and tips of the skirt. She looked like a gothic, foreign duplicate of Lissa in the sense that even the shoulder puffs were almost alike, and this young girl had the cutest happy look on her face with those glistening starlit eyes of hers. Her hair was a dark shade of auburn, but it was also kept back in a tail with some stray straights as bangs. She was so cute and pretty, I almost wanted to try and pinch her cheeks and take her to a safe hiding place. That was until I saw that she held an Elthunder tome in her hands, and I knew perfectly well what she was. She just continued to smile up at me, cutely and innocently. "You okay, lady?" she asked me.

I blinked once in confusion before smiling convincingly at her. "I'm fine, thank you. What's your name?"

She waved her hand greetingly and gleefully. "Watashinonamaeha Hikaridesu!" she greeted.

I would have loved to try and understand that, but I knew not the language she spoke. It sounded fast and yet beautiful, but most assuredly it was foreign. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

She giggled as she rubbed her head in embarrassment. "Sorry! My name's Hikari."

_Hikari...such a beautiful name. Like poetry._ "Well, Hikari, it's best that you stick with me. We don't know if any of these bandits could—." I began to warn her.

"Where's Oniichan?" she interrupted as she looked and searched around quickly. "He told me to come here and hide so that he could come later, but he's still not here."

"Who's 'Oniichan'?" I asked her.

She looked up to me and held up her hand as she tried to make herself look taller. "He's a tall guy with a black headband, red hair and a sword." she described him.

I actually stood there and tried to imagine this guy. _So...his name is Oniichan... he's tall._

Instantly I imagined a tall blank body. _Black headband._ A black cloth wrapped around its head. _Red hair._ A big tuft of red hair reaching down to his back and basic clothing of what I knew to be a myrmidon fluffed onto his body. _And a sword._ He instantly brandished a steel katana and Frederick's face with Hikari's sparkly eyes, making him look almost feminine and mad.

I reeled in fearful disgust as I imagined this figure whom Hikari was looking for, but I made sure to do it quietly to not arouse concern or suspicion for her. "Well, I'm sure we'll find him when we get these bandits taken care of. Okay?" I assured her as I got down to eye level with her and looked into her eyes.

She was silent for a few moments as she nodded in agreement. "What's **your** name?" she asked me.

I smiled and got up to my feet. "My name's Susannah." I greeted as I unsheathed an iron sword, still holding the book. "Now come on, let's find him."

She and I had paired up together, fighting as a single force of blade and bolts. I slashed men through with my blade, upholding steadiness in my strokes in order to not leave myself room for failure and retaliation before Hikari would use magic to finish off our enemies. It was new for me to be fighting alongside someone, like partnering up with somebody; yet Hikari had made it seem to flow so naturally well. I would strike an enemy, and then she would finish him off. 'Rinse and repeat' they say. We kept to our partnership for the slaying of the next few bandits as I noticed how she used magic. It wasn't like any of the mages we were finding among these heathens, but rather it was more unorthodox. Free spirited and happy movements with energetic and fast reading of the tome, as if it were a song, and then a dance flair for the gesture of releaing the spell. She was laughing, giggling and cheering as she did so—but not in any eerie way. I could sense something about her. _Is she playing and having fun like this? Is this a game to her?_ I asked myself more questions of the like as we kept moving.

Frederick was riding on his horse, taking down all of those who got in his way with his silver, gleaming lance that was so strongly emphasized to be an extension of his raw power. He looked stoic and calm while he kept taking down enemy bandits, and it was almost awe inspiring. Chrom and Lissa stuck together, as Chrom was the only one that actually fought anybody. He fought with such elegance and speed, but yet with lots of strength and viciousness. He was very well trained in my eyes, though I knew absolutely zilch about him aside from his demeanor. And his fighting elegance and strength. And his finely toned muscular body, which made him all the more handsome with that dark blue hair and that finely made apparrel of his. But Lissa was seemingly the more dependible one, when even a hair on his head was misplaced, she would use the light of her staff to heal him, no delays whatsoever. I almost felt envious of that, I don't even know if I have a sister.

We stood a good distance away from a mage, who I could tell to be the bodd of these men, but yet lesser than the actual leader. "Okay, Hikari. He's the main bad guy right now. We should wait and regroup with the others before we move." I told her, trying to hide the wind magic wound on my back, now a bleeding and open small gash on my back, draining me with a hint of extreme overexertion.

She looked up at me, and pouted expectantly. "But I wanna find oniichan!" she complained as she grabbed at my waist and helt my coat. "I wanna I wanna I wanna I wanna I wanna!"

And with that, she just ran off away from me and at the enemy. "Hikari, wait!" I called out.

But she didn't listen. _Dammit! If she goes off alone, she'll doubtlessly get hurt! But I can't be of any help until I get healed._

From that distance, I could see her face the enemy head on. First came the casting of a wind spell upon her, but thankfully she barely dodged just in time before dancing up an Elthunder bolt upon him. Watching this, I saw that this time, she had a serious expression on her face. She was playing for keeps this time. _She must really want this guy out of the way. But only luck will tell if she gets that or not._ As she stepped back a step or two, she took this time to take a breath before exerting more of her energy. _For a young girl, she's very smart. Who __**is **__she?_ But then I saw that the mage wasn't just gonna take anything from a little girl with a book; he yelled out angrily as he somehow sumoned up the vigor to cast two consecutive blasts of wind. "Take this, brat!" he yelled.

This time, she was not so fortunate. Both of the spell casts hit her and knocked her back with each strike. "Ah!" she cried out in pain. "No!" she cried out again as she reeled back in agony.

"Hikari!" I called out to her as I felt my wound instantly vanish, and my body began to warm up as I asked aloud, "Wha—?"

"I'm here, Susannah." Lissa's voice told me as I turned around.

She was alone, Chrom wasn't with her as she held her healing staff. But now I felt rejieuvenated, and my body felt stronger for combat again. I smiled at her thankfully. "Oh, it's you. Lissa..." then I gasped and realized that Chrom wasn't there. "Where's Chrom?"

Hikari was panting and whimpering as she stood up, ready to fight. "Oniichan...! Oniichan...! Help me...!" she cried out.

"Hold on, little miss!" Chrom shouted as I turned around and saw him cut down with his sword, Falchion.

As the bandit fell, Chrom looked down gently at Hikari. He smiled as he put his hand on her hair in an effort to help put down the standing stray hair. "There you go. Are you okay?" he asked her.

She was smiling up to him and she was just about to speak until we all heard, "Aaaaaaahh! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaauugh!"

We turned to the path to the east end of town, the market. There, we saw a beaten, cut up and bleeding bandit running away from something so mucht that he was practically wheezing and his muscles made blood exhaust out of the cuts. "No! Please! Have mercy!" he cried out.

_Who's he talking to?_ Then I saw an iron large blade pierce out of his chest through his back. The man instantly stopped breathing and gurgled out blood as be staggered in place. "N-n-no... no...someone...h-help!" he cried out as he fell to the ground and lie dead at his assailant's feet.

This guy was new, alright. He wore a dark brown coat that had buttons with string around them down the middle of the torso, with long sleeves that opened up to finely crafted gauntlets with which he held a big iron blade, and he wore darkly colored pants with brown boots. His head beheld a black kenpo headband and crimson red hair in a small bush on his head. His eyes were blank, and yet fierce, like he was a cold-blooded killer. His eyes were an umber color that could give way to shadows, and his face was overall very well shaped and toned, and he had a sort of disinterested and heartless, yet simple demeanor to his facial expression. And when I saw him, I thought I felt something flutter in my stomach. He slew a bandit, who was crying and soiling himself for mercy, and he did so mercilessly; but he was handsome. As he looked down to the bandit he had just slain, he shook the blood off of his sword. "Your kind get no mercy. Nor any help." he said coldly.

—

**Ladon POV**

"Oniichan!" Hikari's voice called out joyfully as I put away my blade and I felt her pounce into my arms. "You're okay!"

As she landed on me and clung to me very tightly with her arms, I felt no less than complere relief at the fact that she was safe from harm. She was still breathing, and she was still clinging onto me like some sort of tick. So I held her to me with one arm, sighing. "You're okay as well." I replied as I saw some other people.

One was a stoic great night in blue and white armor, riding his horse and holding what looked to be a silver lance in his hand. Another was a dark blue haired man with white and navy colored aparrel and a shoulder pauldron, he looked fairly softhearted and strong as he held a golden straight blade, like it was artfully crafted. A little distance away from us was a blonde girl with a white, yellow and black dress, and she held a cleric's staff. In front of her was a remarkably beautiful dark haired woman with a black coat with purple markings and holden detail here and there. Underneath it was a white coroset that held back her surprisingly big breasts, and her light sandy, peachy colored skin was appealing as well. She had an intellectual and yet serious look about her, especially with those almond shaped chestnut colored eyes of hers. She held in her hands a sword and a tome of thunder, and she looked at me with particular specification. "Who're these people?" I asked as I let her go and I stood fully up from the hug.

The dark blue haired man was the one to speak, smiling at me while doing so. "My name's Chrom, I'm the leader of the Shepherds of Ylisse." he greeted.

I was silent for a few moments. "Ladon. This is my sister, Hikari." I greeted in return. "These men were led by some piece filth named Garrick, wielding a hand axe, the ones you can throw at an enemy." I told them.

"Why are you just standing there then?" I heard the great knight say as he turned to the dark haired sword bearer. "Mi'lord, this man could be stalling for them to escape—."

"I'm telling you this because I personally slaughtered every one of them." I interrupted as I held up a head.

This head had the face of someone in a painful and permanent agonizing deathm with flimsy brown hair and a scruffy stubble all over his ugly face. I displayed this head so that all of them could see it. "Those men, you'll find twenty of them in the streets, their blood soaking into the brick and cemented ground of the road." I declared as I tossed the head away and I heard the sound of magic at work.

Looking to me left, I found the young cleric using the staff to heal Hikari. As I saw it, I instantly glared at the dark haired man, gripping to my blade. "What cause is there for that girl to be using a healing staff on my sister?" I asked him, my voice dripping and sizzling with hostility.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa there!" Chrom called out firmly to me as he took stance. "Hikari ran off from us and used that Elthunder tome of hers to overpower the last of the bandits in the town center." he told me. "We did not harm her, I did nothing but save her life."

I relaxed my hand away from my sword. "I never said **you** did anything, Chrom... I actually thought that your great knight accidentally thought she was a bandit and used his lance."

Though nobody else recognized anything, I heard the dark haired woman squeak with silent laughter. "Well then, it seems that you did the other half of the work here, Ladon." Chrom summarized as he put his golden blade away. "The rest of us are Frederick," he gestured to the knight. "Lissa." he signalled at the girl. "And Susannah, whom we just found on the road." he signalled to the dark haired girl.

I didn't smile, but I did want to when I heard that name. My expression became a little lighthearted. "Oh, I thought I recognized you. Susannah. You're a tactician who can use both the blade and the tome, and you're a good battle strategist." I called out to her.

She looked stunned, nay, **disturbed** at my words. "W-wha...?" she gurgled. "I haven't said a word to you. How did...?"

I looked to Chrom. "And you're Chrom. In your possession right now is a magical sword called Falchion. It's an old blade, imbued with the slumbering power of the holy dragon. Naga, right?" I asked him.

He was speechless as well, as Frederick stepped up, a hostle and protective expression upon his face. "That does it, who are you two?" he asked Susannah and I. "Both of you instinctively knew something about Chrom before he even exposes this information. And **you**," he emphasized as he looked particularly at me, "You slew twenty men with naught but a sword in hand and you instinctively knew something about Susannah as if you were in league—."

"Frederick, that is enough!" Chrom said as he held Frederick back and looked to me, now wearing a smile on his face, warmly and yet sturdily. "Ladon. We can't say you're an enemy, since you helped save a town from bandits—."

"Two towns." I said to him. "I walked here after slaying a man who led swordsmen and mages into another town not too far from here. I charged them money for my services."

He looked a little surprised, and yet understanding with a hint of disappointment. "I assume you're one of **those** kinds of guys, huh?" he asked.

"Not so much. A man's gotta eat." I answered him. "And there is something I'd offer you."

He was silent, and showing me that I has his attention. "We're mercenaries for hire." I told him. "I can fight with the sword, and Hikari can use magic very well. We'd be willing to join your band of Shepherds, if you have the funds." I told him.

"You can't be serious!" Frederick objected. "You almost drew up the sword against him, you can't actually be trying—."

"I can do that." he answered bluntly as he offered me a handshake, cutting Frederick off. "But, is there some other catch that I need to know about?" he asked.

"...Hikari is not that picky of an eater, but she isn't a hearty one either." I admitted to him, shame shuddering my throat as I made the words audible. "I'd need someone to...tend to it." I finished as I heard Hikari groan in embarrassment. "That, and my price depends on what the job is and Hikari sustains wounds."

"Awww~!" Lissa cried out. "That's so cute! A brother looking after his sister. Your mom and dad must be so proud of you!"

I doubted any intent to mock me or patronize me in her tone of voice. But I heard very uncomfortable words from her, and that was enough. "Lissa, was it?" I asked her.

I looked at her coolly, and she looked up to me. "Yah-huh?" she responded.

"Don't speak of his parents, Lissa." Chrom said to her. "Isn't it obvious that he was uncomfortable with that comment?" he asked her.

I stopped listening to them as I waked towards the west end of town. "Hey! Where're you going?!" Chrom called out. "Ladon! Don't you want to join us?!"

Looking over my shoulder, I answered him. "People fled to the west end of town. I am going to tell them that it's clear for them to come out into the open now."

The others were scrambling and baffled now. It was as if they had forgotten all about the fact that people even lived in this town. Chrom made it over to me first, smiling and laughing with small hints of hysteria. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry." he chuckled in embarrassment. "I forgot that there was even any people here."

I wanted to smirk, but I didn't. "You've gotta remember these things, Chrom. It's gonna be awkward, working for someone who doesn't think about the obvious things, you know." I counciled him.

He smiled at me in renewed vigor, like I had become a new friend to him or something. "How much?" he asked.

I knew very well what he implied. "Smart man." I complimented. "Two thousand."

—

**Susannah POV**

_Two thousand? This is crazy! I can't believe this guy, he practically read me like an open book, and I didn't even say anything to him! What, is he psychic? Can he look into my mind, is that it?! Ugh, I'm so god damn stressed, I can't even think! It's so scary!_

Then I heard his words. "_Your kind get no mercy. Nor any help._"

_But what was his deal with that bandit back there? No one likes bandits, on that, people can agree. But he seemed like he truly... hated him. But where that should scare me to death...I can't help but—_

"Are you okay?" his voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I jumped up in place, squealing fearfully before he covered my face with his palm. "Stop being so loud, you'll wake up the others." he told me.

It was currently night time, and we were in the woods. Frederick, Chrom, and the two girls Lissa and Hikari were asleep soundly nearby. We sat on hard rocks that Frederick and Ladon brought to sit on, right in front of the fire, which was contained by moist rocks. Ladon removed his palm from my face as he stepped back, with his arms crossed. "You looked like you were really deep in thought, Susannah." he told me. "Are you alright?"

I looked up to his face, with a confused frown. "I'm uncomfortable and very frightened of me." I told him bluntly. "Does that count?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I know the feeling, Susannah." he told me, as if he was naturally adept at saying my name. "I mean, its strange enough that I saw you in a dream."

I was quiet for a few seconds. "What kind of dream?" I questioned in curiousity.

"It doesn't matter." he swatted aside. "I only remember seeing you, Chrom and... that was basically it."

I could immediately tell that he hesitated at the end, but I knew that I could make him tell me eventually. "Ladon... I'm sorry if I'm being rude, I'm just—"

"—worried that I can look into your mind." he finished for me, cutting me off. "I'm not psychic, Susannah. I'm a swordman."

_Oh, and that's __**such**__ a validation!_ "...Are you like me?" I asked him.

"Like you how?" he responded.

"'Like you how?'" I gruffly immitated him. "Can you use magic?"

He shook his head. "The sword is my only weapon right now, sorry." he answered.

I gave him a snide look. "You're lying to me. Those bandits back at the town had mages too, who can attack both directly and from a distance. You can't expect me to believe that you simply beat them with an iron blade." I barked.

He was silent as I felt an offended anger brew up in his eyes. "First of all, the iron sword I had broke. I had to take another one off of the corpse of another man. As for the little 'distance' matter of yours, I had another weapon." he told me, growling as he did so.

"What? What did you have?" I interrogated harshly.

He was just about to answer me with a retort, until he turned his head slightly to have his ear tuned to something behind us. Then his face shifted into a serious expression. "Arouse the others." he ordered me as he took his hand to his belt and took out a slim iron sword.

I was curious and scared now. "Hey, what's with the sword? Did I make you—?" I began.

"I hear enemies." he said to me. "Tell Chrom that my starting price is ten thousand." as he ran off into the woods.

—

**Author's note: And that's where we introduce the Robin character, as well as the Shepherds! But are they the only members of the company of heroes? Find out later! Favorites and constructive criticism is always welcome.**


	4. Unwelcome Change

**Ladon POV**

I dashed forward, alone in the forest. With how fast and how far I ran, there was only a small amount of telling if the others were going to even follow me, much less find me. I was surrounded by darkness, courtesy of the forest with the night's shade. At present, I was too far away to be seen by either Hikari or Susannah and her Shepherds. The moon above me stained the sky an ugly and sickly mixture of ebony and vermillion, as it was a pale red color—as if to show that there was an evil force at work here, and I was unlucky enough to be caught in its gaze. I frowned up at the sky as I continued to look at it. "What's wrong with the sky? It's like some sort of devilry is at work." I asked and described to myself.

Immediately after I asked that question, the ground under me shook violently and everything became... enchanted... by this evil magic, this deathly light that encased the whole area while quaking angrily. "W-what the hell?" I growled as I saw something uholy.

I watched as the dead rose all around me, their arms digging out of the ground and pulling them up to air. Their eyes glowed with an eery energy in their sockets and their flesh was rotten to an extent—which surprised me as to how they were even reanimated. I widened my eyes as I felt my heart pound faster and faster. "Wha-what the hell?!" I yelped as I realized what had taken over me.

Fear. Fear had clouded my mind and my judgement for a few seconds. Fear was weakness. And weakness wasn't allowed. I calmed my heart to a stone cold halt as I held my slim sword in my hand, rearing back for an attack. With a frown and an empty look in my eyes, I cut down a few of these fell creatures. "I cannot allow these things to reach Chrom or Susannah." I said to myself. "That is my objective, and I complete them." I growled as I dashed forward.

These things lurched and limped slowly in their movement, and a good amount of them were warriors, that was certain. A good amount of them were simple axmen, some of them were sword mercenaries, and a couple of them were on horseback. They were like drunken children, completely dumb and unaware of what to do. But that didn't stop me as I cleaved them into chunkes of rotten meat. Even with a slim sword, I worked well with the blade. Fast movement was key for me as I cut and slashed like living wind, carving and chopping them down with the metalwork weapon. They growled a low, hungry sound as they moved, or were cut, or something even remotely along those lines. I still took my opportunities to end their un-lives mercilessly. Zombie after zombie, I simply moved from one to the other in a rapid succession cycle. _Keep calm, Ladon. They have to real organs working, so you'll just have to keep cutting them into pieces, right? No problem._ I kept assuring myself as I cleaved another one to pieces.

But it slowly became irritating to me, for every one that I killed, five came out of the ground. And with every five I killed, a small squadron came out. They seemed endless, but yet I knew that this wasn't truly the case. They were just a hoarde, not an army or a legion. That's all. As I carved what would be my thirtieth zombie into pieces and dead guts mesh, another few came out. At this, I growled angrily. "Rrr... they never make things easy for me, do they?" I asked myself as I swung my slime covered blade clean of all filth. "Well then, I guess we'll just have to play—Agh!" I yelped out as intense heat and force hit my back.

What I saw when I turned around was another zombie, now in the variety of mages, holding a torn and filthy fire tome. I frowned and scowled at this monstrousity. "Big mistake, you piece of—." I almost let a curse word escape me.

"Hello there!" a man's voice called out to me.

"What?" I asked in reaction as I tore apart another zombie and turned around to see him.

He wore blue and silver armor, holding a javelin in his one hand and the reins of a lightly armored horse. He rode the horse into battle, a full head of golden hair moving with the wind resistance to his movement, the brown stallion he rode was all good, but it was a little different than the horse I saw Frederick riding—which was armored heavier and a white, threaded stock beast. I watched this man mow down groups of zombies as his horse wade through all of them, moving in my direction. When he came upon me, a good clear patch of land full of breathing room was where we stood. He had taken down a good amount of them for me. Smiling down at me, he put his lance away and waved to me. "Greetings." he greeted.

I waved two fingers at him. "Yo."

"I saw that you needed help, and I thought it fit to lend some." he told me.

"Noted. Thanks." I told him heartlessly. "What's your name?"

He brushed back his hair with one hand, closing his eyes and smiling. "My name is Jonathan. I hail from a land far, far to the west. I came here, traveling in search of the perfect job and the perfect life." he introduced as I could have sworn that the air was starting to sweeten and giant roses were fluttering and blooming behind him. "You see, my mother is ill and my dastardly—." was all I listened to before I let him keep talking too fast, like some foreign queer character in a play.

Walking away quickly and quietly, I found a few remnants of zombies from the early hoarde and I tore through one of them, slicing it into pieces. "Just keep talking." I told him quietly as I went over to the next.

"—and then he called her a—hey!" he called out as he strode over to me on his horse, throwing his javelin into a zombie not too far from us. "What gives? Didn't you want to hear my life story?!" he whined.

I finished off the last one before cleaning my blade and sheathing the slim and worn weapon. "I wanted your **name**." I cleared up. "I don't ask for life stories."

He pouted and sighed. "My name is Jonathan." he plainly told me, which I understood clearly.

"That was probably agonizing for you." I insulted flatly as I began to walk away.

"It was n—wait a moment!" he interrupted himself before his horse was walking with me, with him on the horse. "Didn't we say I'd work for you?"

I cocked a brow at him. "Literally **nobody** said that." I answered him.

"Aw come on!" he whined further. "I've been at the hight of my batallion in the army I used to fight in, until I got discharged, and—."

"I will personally feed you to the next zombie we find." I told him.

"I'll work for free!" he begged.

"That is the worst lie I've ever heard. Usually the queer characters of a play demand payment like flowers, romance and fine wine. Usually you'd look for a buxom young woman, or some strange foreign creature that nobody's every heard of." I blatantly told him. "Either that or some inferior man to strike down publicly."

"What's **that** supposed to mean?!" he shouted like some offended ballet dancer. "I mean, I can do a pretty good Ievan Polkka dance, but that doesn't—." he began to complain.

"Oh, look, a zombie!" I falsely signalled ahead.

"Okay, fine, I'm looking for a good woman!" he whined terribly. "A blonde, nice, blue eyed—." he began to describe.

"You're either an elitist or you're secretly longing for your reflection in the water." I told him heartlessly.

_For the love of all things magical, don't let him find Lissa._ I prayed to whatever god or gods existing. _He will not let her escape from his..._ I began to think as we kept walking and I saw him smile, wink and sparkle at nothing. Oh how I prayed it was nothing. _...queer little grip. _"So, can you let me work with you?" he pleaded.

I examined him with utmost care, fearing for my very sanity. He honestly looked like one of those people that you randomly find trying to kill all black things and purposefully spilling all of your mead at your feet, simply because he doesn't like anything alcoholic. I could look at this guy, and he would say something stupid, like "Stab. Critical. No guard dynamic punch." even though he wouldn't use his fist. Though he would not say it in battle, he'd say it to Lissa. I looked, and I saw that he would be the death or madness of our enemies. Most likely the madness, or the sudden rise of the queer nature of us all. I was silent, and fearful of my answer. "... Fine."

He gleamed like some sort of hooker who got an extra payment, brighter than I thought he would. I could swear I heard an orgasm erupt with my answer. "Yyyyay~!" he cried out, like Hikari if I were to tell her that she gets to keep a cute cat.

"You'll get your meals and whatever pay you earn through Chrom, once I've set up your perameters with him." I told him as I heard something.

The sounds of grunting, moving ringing of metal, flesh being rent and torn, the lowing of the zombies. "I thought I'd be working for free." Jonathan argued his point.

"You buy your own weapons." I told him. "You either earn free weapons from others, or you buy them. Seeing that you can only talk them to death with your... poetic... little persona, you can't get them for free. So stop talking, we have more enemies to fight, down that way." I ordered as the horse galloped and I got on the back of the saddle, holding my blade in one hand.

—X—

**Susannah POV**

A thunderbolt finished off another undead fell creature as his body fell, limp, motionless and smoldering. "Damnation! Will these creatures cease?!" I shouted angrily as another came my way, and I called down lightning on it.

It lurched forward, preparing to attack me, its movements slow, dumb and filled with the creaking of old bones and the groaning of a lame animal. "Eat this!" a woman's voice shouted as a horse came over to us and a woman with a lance impaled it.

This woman had a curly, tight afro of hair on her head, peachy skin, pink lips, grey brown eyes, and red and white armor. She had a more gruff and physical outtake about her, but I trusted her nonetheless. She smirked at me, winking and holding her iron lance in one hand and the reings of the horse she rode in the other. "Be more careful, tactician." she told me.

I rolled my eyes before smiling at her. "Get back to killing these things, Sully." I told her.

Sully simply laughed a little bit as she rode off towards another enemy. I shook my head quickly and regained my focus, taking out my iron sword. "Alright, Susannah, don't let someone make you mess up." I scolded myself as I cut down another zombie.

As I made the motion of killing it—again—I felt like my swordsmanship was improving, I could see what I needed to do to improve my marks and my strikes. At this realization, I smiled victoriously. "Well, that's interesting." I mumbled as another zombie lumbered towards me.

I frowned in seriousness as I leapt forward and made a backhanded motion with the blade, a crescent slash chopping the beast in diagonal halves. The pieces of the zombie fell, and I looked around us, to catch some details of the battle. Dead bodies lay everywhere, decomposing into the ground. Chrom and Lissa were together of course, Lissa was healing Chrom with her staff, as he gestured her to heal someone else. Frederick and Sully were teaming up now, using lances of iron and silver to mow down upon their enemies. But I was not seeing who I needed to see the most, fearing that her brother would actually kill me. "Where's—?" I asked as I heard the groans of a zombie coming behind me

Before I could even turn around, I heard the gurgling and groaning of another undead. _Oh sh—!_ I prepared to retaliate.

And arrowhead pierced its chest and a threefold lightning bolt charred the beast as it gurgled in death and fell, unmoving and immobile at my feet. I saw Hikari standing there, waving at me while a neatly dressed man with a bow in hand and blue, straight hair smiled pompously. "Be more careful, young lady." he requested politely and yet bluntly, with his deep and syruppy voice.

I smirked at him. "Be careful, scullery maid." I responded to him.

He simply scoffed with a smile, as if to say that he got the joke. "Come, Hikari. I think we left off at truth for me." he said to her as they departed from me, referncing a game of Truth or Dare.

_Geez, why am I being so still, so calm when zombies are trying to kill everybody? It's so wierd._ I then saw in the distance that more of them were coming. I groaned in displeasure as I turned towards Chrom, who simply stood still and caught his breath. "Chrom!" I signalled to him. "More creatures coming!"

Just then, I caught him looking at something else, smiling in deep relief and tranquility. "Pay them no mind, Susannah." he told me.

_...Pay it no mind?_ I gave him a look. _Are you talking in your sleep? There's practically a small army of those things, we can't just—!_ I then turned around to see what Chrom was so enhantedly staring at. It was one of the...queerest displays I've ever seen. I saw Ladon on the back saddle of some blonde cavalier's brown stallion, the cavalier in turn looking very... artistic. He seemed to have a sweet wind about him, and he looked to be sparkling as he struck down a couple zombies with his javelin—a new weapon to see, which relieved me to know that someone had a throwable weapon since we mostly had magic and one singular bowman for ranged combat. But aside from this new person that I saw fighting off the zombies, I watched Ladon jump off of the horse and land on the ground, slicing one of them vertically in half. Ladon didn't bother to look at anyone or even say "hello" as he simply took to some berserk medium of strategy and tore apart a great amount of them—with naught but a single strike, two if the creatures were lucky enough.

I frowned in disappointment. _Really? You're not gonna tell Chrom or I that you're okay? Jackal. _I quickly noticed a few of the zombies coming towards me, as I aggressively slashed at one of them, knocking them down. It was then that I suddenly felt a little bit better, because I found battle to be a medium for stress relief from the standard myrmidon who literally made no sense whatsoever. But I only felt a **little bit** better. I turned towards the next one and proceeded to try and make myself feel a **lot** better.

As I continued to fight off the zombies that the blonde and the mysterious myrmidon's filter didn't catch, I noticed the others in their fighting as well. Chrom and Hikari took the opportunity to utilize the adopted "sword and magic" team-up strategy, as they took up steel and thunder against any who dared to cross them. Frederick and Sully worked surprisingly well together, now envigorated by Ladon's entrance and his assistance. And for some reason, Virion stuck with me in the sense that whenever there would be a vulnerable moment for me to get stricken by a zombie, he shot it down with a loosened arrow. I took the time to see that everyone was doing fine before I made the decision to make my way over to Ladon and his... "friend". _I'm sure that the stupidest reason will come out of his mouth... Oh, I'm __**certain**__ it will be as I describe it._

And thus I continued to hold in a grand amount of really bad thoughts in my mind as I tore my way with Virion at my side towards Ladon and his new cavalier companion, which I was surer than anything that it strained the conditions of my sword, my thunder tome and Virion's bow. But I thanked all things magical and unknown that our weapons didn't break as the two of us elegantly and yet violently waded through a great deal of undeath and repulsive creatures. But yet, as I tired myself out slowly by fighting for a seemingly perpetual medium of time, I felt myself grow stronger and more powerful. It was as if this was some form of... excercise for my muscles. It felt both ridiculous, and yet surprisingly empowering for me. I almost began to **enjoy **this feeling, the great sensation of being intensely involved in battle. If not for Virion's company keeping me on some sort of a cooldown, I would have become drunken upon the madness long before now. It was as if time slowly dragged on by, and that the battle, the moment of tearing through rotten flesh and post death was infinite in both time and pleasure. It was like a repressed desire filling me up, and Virion snapping me back to my wits kept me alive. The final time he held my shoulder, I instantly pulled up my concentration's extent of my mind's will and I did my best to stop where I was. For I stood before Ladon and the golden haired horseman now.

Ladon turned his head towards me calmly, stoically, and carelessly—the attiitude starting to get on my nerves. "Oh, you're not harmed. Good." he greeted me in a hollow way.

I breathed in, and out slowly as I closed my eyes momentarily—all in an effort to calm myself down. "Why did you simply just run off like that? You made the situation no more helpful by doing so and—." I began to lecture.

"Because he felt like it, sword lady." the horseman interrupted me, as an answer to my premise question.

I slowly glared at him confusedly, his plain face and blonde hair showing more than either his weapon, posture upon the horse, or any other detail. "And who is this?" she asked calmly.

"An idiot." Ladon answered plainly and simply, the tones matched only by the rapidness.

He turned towards him complaintatively, his face matching his slump of a motion. "You know, I'm right here."

He simply looked at me in icy pleading, as if holding the nerve to kill him at bay. "You know, you're sparkling, fairy puff." he insulted flatly. "Susannah, this actress is Jonathan. He's working for me and he needs Chrom to pay him only by the performance he does. He does bad, he goes hungry and poor. He whines about it, kill him." he instructed me.

"Still here." Jonathan complained.

"I'm extremely tired, Jonathan. Your antics of stardust, sweet wind and flowers isn't an anodyne for that either." he retorted to Jonathan as the two of them turned their heads towards something. "Susannah, I'm gonna have to ask you to stick with me for this one. Jonathan, there's a blue haired man with fine armor closeby. Tell him that you're working for me and fight off whatever zombies remain."

_Will you just wait one damn second here?!_ "Ladon, what do you—?" I tried to ask before he cut me off and Jonathan galloped away.

"I think I found the head of the snake." he interrupted me as I jolted my head to the direction he stared at.

There was a zombie humanoid that was lightly armored in hide and bone with some small amount of metal. He wore a skull helmet of some great creature, and he held a large one handed hammer in his hand. He growled and drooled a filthy slime from his grotesque mouth as his eerie, soulless eyes glared at us. I looked back at Ladon, and he simply frowned at me. "Stop being so hostile and passive agressive, Susannah. You guys are paying me, remember? You can trust me." he tried to assure me.

I squinted a bit. "What happens when we **don't** pay you?" I asked, venom dripping from my voice.

"Nothing sinister." he flatly answered. "I simply won't fight."

_I swear to Naga, I'm __**positive**__ that you'll betray us. _"You're such a paragon." I sarcastically complimented.

"Just give me a chance, alright?" he asked me, as I noticed something.

I saw just a small crack in the layer of frigid, secretive ice around his composure. In that metaphorical chink in his armor, I bore witness to the fact that he truly wanted to gain my trust in battle. He didn't show any intent of lying to me or harming me. It wasn't so romantic as to say that he wanted to fall in love with me at the moment of undeath surrounding us, but he did want my trust, my help. But with what? I softened up my expression, just a small tone as I drew out my thunder tome. "We'll see. But we've got business here." I answered him.

—X—

**Ladon POV**

Gaining Susannah's trust, I felt a lot more confident in our chances of survival against the chief of the undead. This night had been a strange and undeniably difficult ordeal for me, and I could sense a kindred spirit of such feelings with the rest of the company. I felt such an exhaustion in Susannah more than anyone else, considering how anybody would be hostile when working like this in the middle of the night and the wee hours of the morning. She was **especially** hostile in this regard, and it bugged me to a strange extent. But my emotions mattered not at the moment, something else took priority. At this moment, the true goal was finishing this battle, and the only way we'd do that was to defeat the chief of these monsters.

Susannah and I dashed forward, our speed and velocity matching in perfect synchronization. We held our weapons firmly, my nearly broken slim sword and her iron sword and partially torn thunder tome. The air brushed past us with our haste, the wind blowing into our ears as we came upon the monster. We both leapt forward at him as he growled and roared defiantly and angrily at us. We took no time to listen to his thoughts on the matter as we combined our strength for an accumulation strike upon his shoulder tendons, in an effort to strike not only upon **him**, but also his muscular strength as well. No time window was given to the beast for an opportunity to strike back as we pushed our muscles to dash forward and cleaved metal into his hip flesh to hamper his movement while hurting him terribly. He shook and staggered violently with each double strike we unleashed upon him; we were behind him currently, as a result from the carving through the hips.

Sharply, the two of us turned around in place as we sliced into his back with all of our force, and he staggered forward, roaring angrily from the cumulative pain—if he could even feel pain, I wasn't entirely sure he had nerves to register sensory signals in the first place. Deciding not to ponder on that thought, I simply decided to stand still as I turned my head to see it. Susannah had backflipped gracefully away from me, getting at least two yards away from me before I heard her say something rather iconic. She held her thunder tome, now glowing a bright yellow-gold light as she cast her free hand forth. "Time to tip the scales!" she shouted, signalling me to be a bit distant from the zombie as a bolt of lightning struck him harshly and sharply, like Jove's* whip of punishment.

(* Jove is another name for the god Jupiter, or Zeus. The god of both the heavens, and thunder, most people associated lighting or "levin" as his artillery if it came as a storm, or his whip, if a single bolt or strike.)

I simply stood there, catching a little bit of my breath as I cautiously awaited a counterstrike from the zombie chief. For a surprising amount of time, the creature didn't budge; as a response, I simply decided to ease myself up and catch my breath for a little bit before I was to make another move. But to my surprise, I wasn't going to have that, as the chief zombie lunged up and struck me off guard, my injury nearly mortally fatal. I grunted loudly, gurgling in the taste of my own moist, dark red blood as my body felt much weaker and almost cold. Hearing gasps from a couple others, and my name screamed from Susannah, I almost felt like I was going to die right there. "Oniichan!" Hikari's voice cried out, shrieking horrifically.

I was then fueled by my own rage. _No!_ My body heat rose within me. _I am __**not**__ going to lose!_ My body was in the middle of falling down, only one of my feet was actually on the ground. Using said foot to gyrate myself for a quick lunge, I felt energy surge through my body as I drew out my slim sword. "**I** am the victor!" I shouted, blood filling my teeth and drooling from my mouth as I carved the monster into pieces, angrily and speedily like the prey of Garm.*

(*Garm, or Garmr, in norse mythology, is the watchdog of hell, instead of the multi-headed dog Cerberus in Greco-roman mythology. He is mostly associated with being the father of all werewolves.)

As the monster fell to its seperated death, I smiled weakly and closed my eyes. "Hi...ka..ri..." I croaked as I fell to the grass.

I didn't even finish feeling the impact as I landed on the hard and yet soft ground beneath me. All was darkness in a matter of moments, not even that, it was instant.

_So, that's it? It's all over, isn't it? I'm going to die._

"Hmph!" I heard a voice gruff out as my darkness slowly began to break. "Who gave you permission to die, boy? I am quite certain that **I** did not." he interrogated in a deragatory fashion.

_What?_

A blinding light pierced the veil as I saw a welcoming hand reach out to my. It was covered in black and red armor and mail, the armor as thick as rock. "You disgrace yourself in your state of weakness, boy." he insulted. "Take my hand."

_I know you..._ I eagerly took his hand as the light intensified marginally.

—X—

**Susannah POV**

He's been unconscious for three whole days. I sat by his bedside with the girl he called his sister, Hikari. She was usually so...perpetually happy, it was almost a complete marvel that one could be so joyful when fighting bandits, marauders and zombies—I'm sorry, they call the creatures Risen now. But today she was so worried about her brother, her "Oniichan". Her face was absolutely smothered with sadness and fear, it was almost painful to watch. I was there, not only to comfort her, but also to keep close to Ladon. Sitting on a stool, I held a bowl of stew that Hikari said that some woman made for them while he was asleep, which she kept in an airtight container. I simply heated it over a fire, but the soup was actually very nice. It was so thick and flavorful, cheesy with a little bit of tomato sweetness and spice of black pepper. "Oniichan says that it's one of his favorite foods" she tells me. "He always cooks for me, because I don't like eating dirty meat like most travelers do, with bugs and ...yech!"

When she tells me this, I smile and giggle appreciatively. _When I'm hungry, I'll eat anything that I __**can**__. But I love the taste, its so... Its so rich. It's nice to see that he and I have similar tastes._ I looked down upon his sleeping, unmoving face, until I detect something about him. It's riddled with so much...pain? It almost made no sense. His body wasn't all that wounded anymore, we had commissioned a priest and even Lissa to heal his body, and we've seen the healing taking effect. But he remained unconscious. "How do you know Oniichan?" she asked me.

I looked her way, my eyes widened a bit and my brows raised. "I don't. He seems to... he seems to know **me**." I answered.

She simply looked confused. "I don't understand." she complained.

I smiled gently to her. "Neither do I." I replied. "Be a dear and buy us some vulneraries, please? It wouldn't hurt to treat him some more."

She nodded and made her way energetically out of the room. It wasn't all that large of a room, there was only a bed, a nightstand and a table in the other corner. I watched her leave, and then I gazed down upon him, pained and stiff in his unconsciousness. Sighing, I slowly and carefully touched his face lightly. _Who...__**is**__ he? Why do I care about him at all?_ "Ladon... just who are y—?" I began to ask.

Whap! His hand clutched violently and swiftly to my wrist, with the intensity and pressure of a stag bettle that was not to let go. His eyes shot open, and his gaze turned to me immediately. But there was something wrong, his eyes were full of not only rage and fury, but also...fear? Nothing made any sense here. "You have exactly five seconds to tell me where my sister is, before I break your wrist and kill you." he threatened promptly.

My heart began to pump and thrash incredibly fast, as I was filled with intense fear for my life. He wasn't joking, not at all. "S-she's buying medicine! I just sent her out!" I answered.

A few seconds later, he closed his eyes, sighing as he let go of my hand before opening them to reveal a calmer and more satisfied demeanor. "Good... She's okay." he breathed in relief.

I stared at him, in melancholy and confusion alike. "You really care about her, don't you?" I asked him. "You can't deny, you would have killed me if she wasn't perfectly fine."

He sat up from the bed, and before he would answer, he discovered that he was...undressed. "You undressed me?" he replied.

I blushed and gave him a snide look. _He is __**not**__ going to do this to me, Susannah, you hear me?!_ "So what if I did? No one else would!" I shouted.

He smiled calmly, looking at me with some kind of... appreciation? _What the hell?!_ "I'm glad it wasn't someone else. I at least know **you**, if only just a tiny bit." he praised. "Thank you for keeping some decency."

My words choked up in my throat as he put on his clothes. "I'd have expected Hikari to do it, not really you." he acknowledged as he put on his pants and boots. "But, what's done is done. It doesn't matter." He strapped on his belt, his gloves, his shirt and coat.

I continued to blush redder and redder as I felt myself heat up violently. He put on his headband and turned back over to me, his face confused and puzzled. "You okay? You look like you're going to pop like a bubble." he asked.

I stood up, stomping tover to him and slapping his face as hard as I possibly could. "You can go die for all I care! I don't need your input on me undressing you—which **won't **happen again!" I screamed at him before stomping out of the room.

...But damn did he look handsome.


	5. Shepherds and Bellwethers

**Ladon POV**

_Doubt, Ladon._ I hear these words echo in my mind as I swing my slim iron blade at the air. _Doubt is what nearly killed you. Nothing else. _I continued to practice maneuvers angrily and energetically, mentally punishing myself. _It is that which will make you fail. You must have no doubts._ "Hey there, Ladon!" a confident woman's voice called out to me.

Quickly and as a sort of flinching reaction, I pinpointed her exact location and shifted my position and dashed to meet her, my blade at her throat. A few seconds later, I recognized the armor, facial features and her hair. "Don't...startle me, Sully." I scolded her in a low growl as I put my blade away.

She simply gave me a snarky look, a grin with a cocked eyebrow. "What's with you?" she asked me. "Or are you always like this?"

"Possibly the latter." I deadpanned. "Something you need?"

"Yeah, Chrom wants you to come with us to the garrison." she answered. "I was to tell you that Hikari was with them and they're already over there. Along with..." she began to tapir into an uncomfortable silence.

"His name is Jonathan." I told her.

She gave me a disgusted and questionable look. "Why'd you **hire **him?"

I began to walk with her in the direction that she was guiding me. "That remains a mystery to me."

"He's worse than Virion." she commented.

"Don't tell him that, they'll start a neverending dance battle or something very theatrical and stupid on the same scope." I warned her.

She began to laugh a little, as if she caught onto the joke. "I never took you for someone so mean and yet so funny."

I smiled, just a miniature smirk. "It comes with years of practice."

She gave me a proud, playful and humored grin. "I can tell. We should have a drink, tell me your secrets."

I found that we came up to our destination, an array of tents making up a large campsite around one large head tent; the campsite surrounded by sharp stakes in a fence formation. "Rule number one, everything is always funny. Keep that in mind, Sully." I directed her as we walked into the campsite.

Once I was within the fence, I was immediately found by the sights of some certain individuals who were short, blonde and had the sudden urge to yell out, "Oh, hey! Chrom! Ladon and Sully are here!"

Chrom walked up to me, that friendly and albeit vulnerable smile on his face as he and I held each other's forearms in an improvised handshake. "So I see. Come, let me introduce you to the other Shepherds, Ladon." he suggested.

"Sure." I thoughtlessly replied as I walked with him and Lissa into the large main tent.

—X—

**Susannah POV**

"Here we are!" Lissa showcased eagerly. "The Shepherds' garrison. Go on, make yourselves at home."

The tent comprised of nothing more than a few crates of supplies and a few tables, one of them outfitted with a map of the world, which I assumed was the war council table that Chrom would stand at for strategic planning and analysis. Being a noble, a prince no less, he must be able to lead conquests and travel parties with ease. I watched closely as Ladon looked around this tent with us, a strange air about him as he did so. When I saw him, my muscles tensed up angrily, the sudden urge to simply slice his head off barely stopped with reason. And plus, there was the factor that he was a better swordsman than I am, and that if I did anything to him Hikari wouldn't hesitate to unleash her Elthunder tome upon me. He looked tense as well, but nothing about me, nothing I could feel. It was anger, but... What was that anger directed toward? "Lissa, my treasure!" a pompous squeal startled me as she ran towards Lissa.

She was a petite, well cleaned blonde girl with a white and pink frilled dress and a parasol. She looked like she was Lissa's age, and her height, but doubly uptight and regal, even though she didn't look like she was **actually** a princess. She quickly ran to Lissa, elaborating her complaints all upon her. "Are you all right? I've been on pins and needles!" she wailed, both strictly and worriedly like some head maid over a younger mistress.

"Oh, hey Maribelle!" Lissa greeted casually, as if not noticing the other girl squealing and screaming.

"'Oh, hey' yourself! I've sprouted 14 grey hairs fretting over you!" she scolded flusteredly.

I giggled to myself over this miniature family squabble, like a stressed mother and a daughter who snuck out the night before, that played out right in front of me. Then my vision brushed upon my wrist that showed out from my sleeve. It was red, even though the remedy I applied to it stopped the irritation, it still was red from when Ladon grabbed it. _You can't deny, you would have killed me if she wasn't perfectly fine. _My own words rang in my ears as I stared at it momentarily. I knew, deep down, he would have actually murdered me if a single crimson hair was out of place on his sister's head. Now I was looking at him, and how monotonous his facial expression was. I couldn't put my finger on it, but his eyes yielded no emotion, no thought. _How does he do that? What is he?_ "Aw, you worry too much. I can handle a battle or two!" Lissa assured Maribelle as she looked to the blood headed mercenary. "We had Frederick and this guy."

_Oh, don't mention _**_me_**_ at all, Lissa. Even though I saved your neck a select few times. _"And who is this...dour individual?" Maribelle asked in a sultry tone.

"Maribelle!" Lissa squeaked, as I giggled.

_Dour is right_. "Ladon, madamoiselle." he greeted with a strange, monotonous politeness.

She smileda bit at that remark. "Well at least you're in possession of **some** decency." she replied.

"Likewise." he retorted, venom dripping from his voice.

"So, tell me, what are you? A sword for hire? Or a stray that my dear Lissa picked up off the—?" Maribelle began as it broke out.

"Hey! Don't talk about Oniichan!" Hikari cried out as she took out her Elthunder tome.

"Hikari." Ladon scolded slowly.

She looked up at him in protest. "Oniichan, she—." she balked.

"We don't use tomes in the tent." he directed sternly. "You can do so when you must, but not to fry princesses who talk bad about other people."

"And certain people shouldn't talk about mercinaries who could tear through waves of Risen." Frederick scolded as he looked down at Maribelle with a death stare. "Isn't that correct, Maribelle?"

She looked away from him, as if she was afraid of his eyes boring into her head. "You have my apologies, Ladon." she mumbled spitefully.

"Ah, don't mind her, scary." a proud and laid back voice called out to Ladon as a shirtless man with blonde hair and an iron armor piece decorating his neck with typical axe fighter pants and shoes covering his lower half. "Maribelle can be all rude, but she's really a sweetheart if you get to know her."

_That's like saying dragons and sheep can be friends in nature. _"I don't know why everyone is focusing on **me**, sir." Ladon protested as he looked at me, nudging his chin. "She's more important, she's the tactician."

He smiled as he looked at me. "Oh, come on. The Vaike thinks we're all important." he commented.

_No, not all of us._ I grumbled to myself silently. _Ladon only wants money and free food._

"What's a Vaike?" he asked the fighter.

"That's his name, Ladon. Vaike." Maribelle hissed.

He nodded in understanding as he offered Vaike a hand. "It's good to meet you, Vaike. You probably just heard my name." he greeted.

He grinned as they grabbed each other's right forearms. "Ladon is your name? It sounds more poetic than mine." he complimented.

"Ladon was the name of a dragon, sort of a touchy subject in terms of Grimleal and Naga Worshippers here." he responded.

_Ladon was a dragon?_ "Ladon was a dragon?" Chrom's voice echoed my thoughts as he stepped into the circle of people.

"Oh, c-captain!" a seemingly timid young woman's voice called out as someone stepped in next to Ladon, tripping on his foot before falling down.

Almost. He caught her in his arms and stood her back up on her feet. "I swear I didn't trip you." he assured her.

_Half of me doesn't want to believe you._ She looked at him, almost mesmerized by a fear of his exterior. "Oh, n-no it's fine." she brushed aside.

She was a medium armored young peachy skinned woman with lots of light brown locks of hair. She had a feather ornament in her hair, and she had a timid aura about her. She wasn't too tall or too short either, possibly 162 centimeters, somewhere in there. She looked lightweight, but not pencil thin. It was then that Chrom smiled at her welcomingly. "Ah, Sumia." he greeted.

She smiled embrasively to Chrom. "Hello, captain. I'm glad to see your safe return."

I almost wanted to moan at how cute it was. _Awww! She's all concerned for her captain!_ Then I looked at Ladon. _Unlike certain mercenaries who demand pay! _

—X—

**Ladon POV**

Very subtly, I felt something shiver within my spine. It was almost like recieving the evil eye from someone. _Oh wait, I forgot that Susannah was in the room._ I looked at her face, as she quickly brushed her vision away from me. _Yeah, that's great. Susannah's feeling saucy today. Joy._ "Alright, listen up everyone." Chrom called attention as I put my focus on him. "Tomorrow, we march for Regna Ferox." he announced.

"Regna Ferox?" Susannah asked unknowingly.

"Surely you're joking." I cut in.

He looked at me, in a more professional leader fashion now. "A cause of concern, Ladon?"

"Yes, it's a cause for concern. They'll see it as military action, if we're unfortunate." I replied calmly. "And I don't think the Exalt will just send us the number of men to pull off such a thing."

"Well, to be fair, that's only half chance." Susannah interjected my statment as Chrom and I looked at her. "It's better to go...wherever Regna Ferox is anyway, and if we let cooler heads prevail we'll be okay."

"Regna Ferox is north of here and Feroxi people are not very cool minded. They're warriors." I argued.

"Why are **you** worried about the Feroxi? Surely you don't think we're in any danger?" she snapped.

Then Chrom stepped in. "Ladon, Susannah, you both bring excellent matters to the table. But remember, if we don't instigate, there won't be any major problems." he chided.

"That's a key word. 'Major'." I pointed out.

He put a thumb and finger to his chin as he gave me a curious look. "What do you mean?"

"They'll still spy on us or exercise some other base contingency plan." I answered him.

"Well, perhaps we could have some other task for you then, Ladon?" Susannah suggested. "Or is this going to involve pay?" she hissed as her eyes closed just a tiny bit, enough to make her look angry with that spiteful small frown.

"Susannah, please don't interrogate him. Besides, I'm sure that if we pay him he'll get his job done. What's that term?" Chrom stated as it ended with a question, turning to Susannah and using his hand for body language as he spoke.

"Professional Obligation." I answered him.

"Excuse me, Ladon?" Sumia asked me as I looked to her, awaiting her question. "Why are they on such a topic of paying you?"

"I don't do any work unless I'm paid." I answered her. "I don't steal from my employers, but I do need pay."

"The principle isn't important, Ladon." Chrom informed me as I turned my attention back to him. "As long as you keep up the good work, I'll be happy to pay you."

I nodded to him. "Not just me this time." I reminded him.

"Ah, yes. Your cavalier friend—." he tried to denote.

"He's not my friend." I corrected him quickly. "He needs pay is all. Pay him based off of his performance in battle."

"Oh, well, of course." he affirmed with a smile and a chuckle. "Something tells me that you don't like him too much."

_No, I don't! _"I like him just fine." I told him. "It's just..." I began as I gave a beseeching look to Susannah.

She shivered and nodded at me. "Oh, I know what you mean about him, trust me."

I shook my head now. "It doesn't matter, we've come to an agreement to march north." I confirmed.

"W-wait for me!" another man's voice exclaimed.

_How does Chrom function with such disorganization in his troops?_ Another man ran into the room now, a brown haired light skinned and rather decent looking man in green cavalier armor. It looked similar to Jonathan and Sully's armor, so I automatically assumed that it was basic cavalier armor. Chrom looked his way, as did the rest of us. "Stahl?" Chrom greeted haphazardly.

"Why am I the last person to hear about this expedition to Ferox?" the man named Stahl responded.

"Huh?" Lissa asked aloud. "Vaike was supposed to...Vaike!" Lissa shouted at Vaike. "Did you forget to tell Stahl about our mission?"

_Note to self, Vaike is stupid... hopelessly stupid._

"The Vaike never forgets!" Vaike boasted. "...I just don't always remember, is all..." he added in with a quiet change of tone.

_Very very stupid._

—X—

**Susannah POV**

We marched north for the next few hours into the afternoon. It surprised me, actually, with how we were so different from one another and yet we mixed into a decent unit. Chrom led us on the march. Lissa and Maribelle stuck with one another, talking. Frederick was Chrom's steward, so he stayed close to him. Stahl and Sully were getting along surprisingly well as their horses, and by extension the people themselves, walked together. Little Hikari was walking with Virion, talking with him about an astonishing number of fashion statements. Though this was a small military action, it was amazing to see everyone get along so well.

Then my attention turned to Ladon. He was walking by Jonathan and his horse, having a small conversation with him. _Is he talking to that ballerina? I knew there was something weird going on here, they must be talking about __**pay**__. That's all he even cares about._ Then I slowly began to gaze at his face. _But why is he so...calm? His face is so monotonous, even back before the march._

He quickly turned away from Jonathan, and I felt my heart almost stop in alarm. He looked forward first, then his vision fixated on me as Jonathan looked forward, taking out his lance as Ladon jogged over to me. My mind instantly torrented with fearful planning on him coming over to attack me, my body tensed up. I had myself ready to pull out my thunder tome to bring him down in case. "Susannah." he beseeched me as he grabbed my shoulder with a quick motion. "Jonathan and I are running ahead. Tell Chrom that my price is two thousand, seven if Hikari sustains wounds." he quickly pushed on me as he leapt backwards into the air, landing on Jonathan's mare.

"Wait! Ladon!" I called out.

"Hyah!" Jonathan whooped as the two of them galloped forward.

I clenched my teeth as I ran to Chrom. "Dammit, Ladon." I growled as I reached Chrom and Frederick. "Chrom, Ladon—." I began to tattle.

"What's his price?" he cut me off.

_I swear to Naga, this better not become common. _"Two thousand. Seven thousand if Hikari sustains wounds." I explained as I looked forward, wishing I had sooner.

Risen, a big pack of them in the distance. _Damnation, how does he se these things before us?_ "That sounds reasonable. Susannah, you stay with her and lead with myself and Frederick." he ordered me.

_What?! And cost us seven thousand gold?! _"But Chrom, we have to protect her." I protested. "And if you remember the last time she and I took to battle—!"

"The past mistakes don't matter, Susannah. And I **do** remember what happened. She was on par with you in magic. We can utilize her talents if we do it the right way." he reminded and assured me with a confident smile. "And aren't you the tactician?"

_The tactician I may be...but...! I'm not sure if...! _I sighed, smiling in a snarky way. "Alright, I'll have lead with her." I replied as I walked towards Hikari and Virion.

Hikari looked up at me, her eyes filled with a cocktail of doubt and curiousity. "Where's Oniichan? Why'd he run off so fast?" she asked me in the cutest little squeaky girly voice.

I was almost tempted to just gush over that. _Oh, you're so adorable! _I smiled and got down to eye level with her by crouching. "Oniichan needs our help, Hikari. You think you can help us?" I asked her, trying to make my voice sweet without patronizing her.

She smiled at me excitedly. "Can we zap some badguys? Please please pleeeeeeeeeeease?" she begged.

_Oh, Ladon, I wish I had your sister right now!_ I giggled to myself at how cute she was. "Actually, I have something better in mind than **zapping **the bad guys."

Her eyes glowed and twinkled excitedly as she practically opened up her smile like a happy earthquake. _I think I'm in love! _"Like what?" she asked in the cutest way.

"Oh, trust me, I think you're going to love this one." I assured her.

Minutes later, Hikari and I stood in formation with Chrom and Frederick in the front of the group. I held a Fire tome in my hand as Hikari and I stood, waiting to move forward and kick some ass. I looked forward, but yet no sign of Ladon and Jonathan anywhere. _Where the hell...? Did they ditch us?!_ "Alright, Susannah. Let's move up, the others will take sides and rear." Chrom directed me.

I nodded as I quickly examined the surroundings within this green, spacious little natural arena. Two forts for us to take small respite in should we become desperate, a bridge over a river for us to cross. There was a large number of Risen all around us, which I felt was larger than it **should **be. It was a strange feeling of confusion, but there's no room to complain. I simply smirked at the thought of the people in the **back**, especially Vaike because the dolt forgot his axe. No hatred in my words, but I found it very funny. I then smiled at Hikari. "Let's go, Hikari." I directed her.

She closed her eyes and cheered. "Hai-hai, Oneesan!"

Knowing what none of that meant, I simply giggled at how cute it was. _Now I'm Oneesan. But Ladon is Oniichan. What do those words mean?_ We dashed forward to the enemy, tomes in hand. I was now in a full-on battle mood as I opened the tome and reared my hand, as it was encased in fire while we were still running. "Ready Hikari?" I asked her as we came up to a Risen with a bronze axe.

"Hai!" Hikari eagerly replied as I leapt into the air.

I was above the Risen now, the sun creating a shadow through my cloak and my body over its body. "Now!" I commanded as I threw my fire spell at him, burning his body upon impact.

Just as the mindless fool stepped back, another fireball struck its chest and lit him back up, killing him as he decomposed onto the ground and I landed on my feet. I panted lightly, smiling excitedly. _I remember this feeling. Almost like Ladon and I fighting against that Risen a few nights ago. _"That was so awesome, Oneesan!" Hikari mewled in awe as she walked up to my proximity.

I smiled, almost in the sense of a silent brag. _I know, right?_ "Come on. We gotta show Oniichan." I directed.

_Hopefully he's actually __**doing**__ something about the Risen right now._

—X—

**Ladon POV**

_Holy crap, they just double teamed that guy!_ Jonathan and I stood in a small, empty fort of brick and stone, the bodies of about ten zombies' decomposed slimy remains beneath my feet and Jonathan's horse's hooves. I doubt that they saw me, but I sure as Naga saw the two of them. "Hey, I didn't know you had a sister!" Jonathan inserted.

"Thank Naga for **that**." I chided as I put my sword into the soft dirt ground and popped my knuckles. "Don't try anything stupid with her."

"Relax, Ladon, you're my employer!" he whined.

I smirked infinitesimally. "Then I'm stupid."

"What's **that **supposed to mean?" he asked as his horse walked to my proximity.

"I was joking." I eased sardonically as I noticed an oncoming hoarde of the zombies in both physical attackers and mages alike, coming from the north. "We'd better light out, more zombies." I told him as I pulled out the blade and leapt upwards, landing on his horse's saddle.

"Risen." he corrected.

"Hie on with you!" I shouted as we quickly rode out.

Thankfully he was as good at listening as he was at being a play actor, because we rode out quickly into the open battlefield. "What do we do?" he asked me.

"Chrom and Susannah are coming our way to meet with the main group of 'Risen'." I answered him. "We got the splinter packs, but now we have to deal with the chief."

"Just the two of us?"

"You're a smart man." I answered as we rode north to meet the enemy head on.

"Don't you think we should come up with a plan about this, regroup with the others?" Jonathan asked, raising his voice over the wind in our ears and the horse's galloping.

"I'm not getting paid to!" I retorted as we reached our destination. "Charge!" I battlecried as I leapt off of the mare and the two of us simultaneously ran a zombie mage through with his iron lance and my iron sword.

The risen groaned as we withdrew our weapons from its corpse and I dashed at the next one. I cleaved seven centimeters deep into his undead guts, bone and flesh as Jonathan finished him off with a shank to the forehead, putting so much kinetic force that the risen actually fell off of the lance. Next came the sound of a slobbery rasp of risen breathing behind me, signalling my mind to make the motions of preparation as I leapt into the air. "Yah!" I grunted out as Jonathan swung the blade of his lance to cleave halfway through the depth of his neck.

My feet planted on the risen's shoulders, my weight brought him down to the ground quickly as I took sword in hand and cleanly sliced his head off. Their bodies decomposed as quickly as we killed them. "Alright, we're doing good so far." I commented as the Risen continued to surround us, and I spartan kicked the nearest one in the chest, making him tumble backwards into Jonathan's proximity for an attack I've never predicted.

He was flailing his lance about in a dome formation, a flurry of outward attacks taking down Risen groups surrounding him. But, I noticed that his lance was dulling and breaking faster with this, so I could see the obvious con to this pro. "I doubt my lance will hold up through this abuse. We need backup!" he imperitively informed me.

_And waste this opportunity? This is getting too fun! _It was then that, as the sayings go, the cavalry came. Fireballs, Chrom's Falchion, arrows and iron weaponry came to our aid by way of Chrom, Susannah, Hikari, and his forces. I smirked at their arrival, but I kept it hidden as best I could. _Son of a bitch. _"Cavalry?" I asked out loud as another risen mercenary came towards me and I kicked him back, making him fall to the ground as Chrom knelt down and stabbed it in the face, making it decompose into smoking slime into the soil.

He stood up, smiling at me. "That's the idea. Thank Susannah." he answered as we once again shook arms.

"Noted." I responded. "Jonathan and I need spare weapons, iron at best would do."

He shook his head, his smile disappearing to a neutral and serious expression. "We can have Jonathan outfitted, but we have no spare swords." he answered.

I frowned and growled. _Dammit, and I don't have any more slim swords. _"I see. Well, it's no matter." I thanked him as I turned to the enemy and tossed down my sword.

"Wait, don't tell me you're—!" he began.

"Trust me, Chrom." I assured him as I picked up a tree branch that was roughly the size of a sword. "I trust that you'll send me backup."

_What wood is this?_

"I'm not letting you walk into battle with a tree branch." he persisted as I took out two items and laid down the tree branch.

_It has to be some sort of plum, judging by the white bark and red leaves._

"Very well." I said as I struck the steel across the flintstone, making sparks.

_Come on, light dammit._

"What are you doing?" he asked.

_What does it __**look**__ like I'm doing with a flint and steel?_

"Go assist your army. Jonathan and I will tidy up around the chief.

"With what?" he argued as the tree branch caught fire.

_It took this long for sparks to... _I picked it up with one hand, looking back at Chrom. "You're not stupid, Chrom." I assured him as Jonathan and I nodded to one another and we ran to a cluster of Risen in the far back.

—X—

**Susannah POV**

"Boom!" Hikari cheered as our fireballs converged into unity on a risen myrmidon, making her explode into ashes.

We smiled and slapped hands. "Good work!" I complimented.

Hikari simply flashed a smile up at me. "Arigato, Oneesan!"

It was then that I saw Ladon rush past me with Jonathan galloping a few paces ahead of him, and from how fast he was, it looked like he was either holding something that was or simply was on fire. I pondered at the thought. _No, his clothes aren't that flammable, and the Risen mages mostly had wind and thunder—. _"Susannah, trail Ladon and Jonathan." Chrom ordered.

Hikari and I looked back at Chrom, who was now burning in exhaustion and panic. "Oniichan?" Hikari asked.

"Why? The cavalier—." I beseeched.

"He is running while carrying a comestioned branch. He has no sword and Jonathan's lance is almost broken." he interrupted me.

_Oh for the love of...! _"Hikari come on!" I called as the two of us began running.

"Everyone forward! This battle is almost won!" Chrom shouted to the others.

"Is Oniichan gonna be okay?" Hikari cried out as we kept running.

_Not when I'm done with him, he won't! _"I'm sure he will when we get there, Hikari." I answered her as I saw them.

There was another Risen chief, that was for certain. And Ladon and Jonathan were there, mowing down the surrounding lackeys with a nearly broken iron lance and a flaming plum branch with lots of burning leaves. _At least he's smart to the minimum degree. The leaves will fall off and burn the Risen skin with a chance of lighting them on fire._ And that strategy worked for dealing with the Risen surrounding the chief, but the branch burned up and I saw him toss it down, leaving him unarmed. "Ready, old sport?" I heard him ask Jonathan.

_Wait, what?!_ "I normally wouldn't deem that kind of action wise." he argued against him.

_Can someone explain this?!_ "Oniichan!" Hikari shouted.

"Last time I checked, neither of us are normal." he countered as he dashed forward.

"Ladon!" I screamed as I sprinted angrily at the risen chief.

"Susannah, wait—!" Jonathan called out.

I turned to him as I ran past. "Shut up!" I roared as I took out my iron sword and performed possibly **the** stupidest act ever.

I threw it at the Risen chief, and Ladon leapt into the air and caught it. "That worked?!" he cried in a happy hysteria as he took the sword and two hand swung to carve into the enemy's ribcage.

_What worked?!_ "That worked?!" Jonathan exclaimed.

"What worked?!" I screamed as Hikari and I brought the monster to near destruction.

It was then that an arrow pierced the monster's head, and it fell silent, decomposing into the ground. Ladon simply looked at me, offering me to take back my sword. "It was my plan." he answered me.

_Plan?! _"What plan?!" I whined angrily and tiredly.

"You have a very conflagrational temper." he answered me as I took my sword and slapped his face as hard as I could.

"What does my temper have to—?" I began as I stopped myself. "I...threw a sword."

He turned his gaze back to me, and popped his neck. "Your forces have terrible weapons, iron and bronze. But we took down a small road blockade of zombies with those weapons, some fire tomes and a burning plum branch. And it's all because of you."

_I...! _"What?" I responded confusedly.

He smiled at me now. "If you hadn't given into being pissed off at me, I could have sustained some wounds from the chief's weapon when he got the chance." he explained. "You signalled me by yelling at Jonathan and you helped me by tossing me a sword. You're smarter than I thought, Susannah." he complimented.

I felt all of my anger and desire to punch him just melt away into flattery. I widened my eyes and blushed as I twiddled my fingers. "Well, it wasn't.. I didn't..." I bubbled as I looked at him, then down at my fingers, then momentarily back up at him.

_By Naga he was so handsome._ "Well done everyone!" Chrom called out as everyone caught up to us.

He looked at the four of us, smiling graciously. "You four deserve the credit for this victory; for tearing through their ranks so bravely." he told us.

"But Chrom, sir." Ladon interjected. "It was more of a gamble than a strategy or a brave effort. If it wasn't for last second precision and timing and predicting Susannah's actions by a hunch, we would have been harmed."

"Well... Ladon, let's not say **that**." I argued as he and I locked eyes.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because we so obviously worked good while as a unit, so even though we were so haphazardly unprepared... it would be best if we were to refine our teamwork." I suggested to him.

He was silent for a few seconds. I simply drank in the feeling of looking at him before Chrom concurred, "I couldn't agree more."

He sighed and shook his head. "If you wish to refine working with me, we can do so. But I work my way, just as Jonathan works his way." he justified as he walked north, Jonathan and Hikari staying with us.

"Well what does **that** mean?" Jonathan asked in an attempted humorous tone of voice.

Hikari simply looked up at us, smiling brightly. "That's when Oniichan likes your ideas."

**(Author's Note: A few things to address; first off, I'm making it to where everything is in hard mode with this one. The enemy amounts are either bigger or twice as strong, to make it fair for having an a myrmidon and a fourth cavalier, not to mention Hikari being a mage that works well with Susannah. As it obviously shows, Susannah is "Robin", I just gave her a name. And I plan on doing this one more, since people were decent with my other fics but assholes with my Rosario+Vampire one. So, tell me what you guys think, if you have requests for pairings with current and later units, feel free to tell me.)**


	6. Warrior Realm

**Ladon POV**

"Brrr! F-F-Frederick! I'm f-f-freezing!" Lissa complained, shivering and whimpering.

We stood in broad daylight in front of a great stone wall, in the middle of a miniature snowstorm. The snow and the cold didn't bother me too much, as powdery snow buildup began to appear on my clothes and my headband. Jonathan and his mare stood next to me as I stood a decent distance away from the main group. Jonathan had received some decent money to get a good set of iron lances and vulneraries, while my pay went to vulneraries and a thick iron blade. It was a little heavier to hand, but the blade wasn't too heavy or too long, making it a decent weapon. My breath became white vapor in the cold air of Regna Ferox. "Stand beside my horse, milady. She'll shelter you from the wind." Frederick quickly suggested to Lissa as she proceeded to follow his words.

The great gray stone and mortar wall towered over us as I was studying it closely. I kept a close watch of every individual brick, for a size differentiation to use as a decent foothold, or structural weaknesses to take advantage of. So far, I only found so much. The environment around us was basically snow, and thick with trees and brush. I quickly found a dozen ways that I could sneak around in case things became hostile. Thankfully, I was the only unit that I really needed for my part currently. And if Jonathan was needed, I could easily carve open the gates. "So this is the fortress?" Susannah asked meekly.

Chrom looked to her, smiling casually. "Yes, the Longfort. It stretches along the border of Ylisse and Regna Ferox."

"The Khans that rule Ferox have grown quite wary of foreigners." Frederick inserted. "Still, don't mistake a lack of hospitality for open hostility. This simply calls for a bit of diplomacy."

"Negotiation's not my strong suit." Chrom replied. "But I'll do my best." he turned to all of us. "Remember, your actions here reflect back upon Ylisse."

"I'm not Ylissean." I responded.

"But you're still in my company." Chrom retorted.

"Is there anything prevalent about the khans we should be aware of?" Susannah asked him.

"The Khans are a more warlike people, the antithesis of Ylisse's pacifist way. They don't do politics, they settle things with strength behind the conviction." I answered her.

She looked at me curiously. "So they're impossible to negotiate with, according to you."

"Not impossible. They simply negotiate through a contest of power."

"You can't get everything you want by slicing someone." she argued.

"They get it by punching and arm wrestling."

"But we're not the khans. I agree with Chrom, we have to do this the Ylissean way." Susannah finished as she stepped away to join Chrom.

I rolled my eyes on this subject, because I knew that she wasn't that stupid. And stubbornness in someone as witty as her simply annoyed me. "A coin for your thoughts?" Virion's voice asked me as he stepped to my other side.

Popping my neck and knuckles, I turned to him. "I'm sneaking off. There's a strange air about this place, something I think only I can do." I answered. "Tell Chrom that my starting price is three thousand. Ten thousand if Hikari sustains wounds. Thirty thousand if Susannah doesn't have you join me soon."

"Do you always have to be confrontational with prices?" he responded.

"Only when I know for a fact that the enemy will strike down from their impenetrable vantage point. Hie on with you, time's wasting."

Without any further drawback, I ran into the white of snow, shifting from tree to tree in order to maintain a semblance of being hidden. Strangely, there were no patrols. No one was scanning the wall front for any intrusion or climbers. That meant only one thing, the men and women in charge of the place had all of their security inside, behind a gate and behind stone and mortar. I kept shuffling my way through the white, the trees and the wind until I came upon a patrol, the first one I saw. He was on horse, holding a lance in his hand and simply standing there.

But I saw it on his hip, hanging from his belt next to a pouch, a door key for the tall wooden gate behind him. I smirked. "Jackpot." I whispered as I drew it out.

The black blade, the one I had relented against using before, contrasted against the snow, the blizzard. It was unlike a great number of weapons, it had a name. Chrom's Falchion was a blade blessed by the holy dragon, it was a legend to be used. My blade's name was Ikralis. The ebon blade was a little more than a simple legendary sword. Less mundane, more obscure. Before I could even use the blade to assassinate the guard, he turned his head and readied for battle. The only strange thing was that he wasn't looking at **me**. "Halt, in the name of Khan—!" he shouted before I saw it.

A figure dressed in ebon plated armor with an upwards cuffed mantled cape of night's curtain, straw golden hair in a short cut, and a blade of ebony that sliced through the guard's armor like Garmr's fangs. Upon seeing this eager, powerful show of murderous intent, I simply looked mystified. It was a woman, wearing a rather skin showing suit of armor, holding a black and foreign shaped sword in one hand, which radiated some form of azure light from the edges. The sword exuded no **aura** but there was something mystical about it. She had peachy colored skin, and vermilion eyes that looked eerily similar to oxygen-less blood. One of her eyes was covered by her hair, and the other one looked directly at me, smirking evilly like a sake finding an unborn egg. "Well? You wanna get into the fortress or not?" she called out, spinning the gate key on a black gloved index finger.

Her entire fingers' length wasn't even covered in the fabric, the gloves were from her elbows to her metacarpal areas, barely making it past the knuckles by a centimeter. _Who the hell are these people I keep finding?_ Walking over to her, I nodded. "What brings you here?" I asked her.

"I wanted to gain entry into Ferox, but the guards wouldn't let me. So I though I'd lop off the commanding officer's head and kick it around like a football." she answered.

_You wanted to do something legal, and they wouldn't let you. So you want to do something __**illegal**__ now... _"Want some help?" I offered.

"The more the merrier." she replied, a squint and a smirk on her face. "Sarah."

"Ladon." I greeted as we opened the gate.

"Are you here alone?" she questioned.

"Well, we'll see the rest of my force in due time."

XXXXXXXXX

**Susannah POV**

"Trouble in the wind, m'lord." Frederick announced to Chrom."The feroxi guard are mobilizing."

"What?! Why?" Chrom asked, incredulously.

"Who can say?" he responded. "But they look ready to fly at a moment's notice. We'd best to prepare for combat, just to be safe."

Raising an eyebrow, I began to ponder. "I think Ladon might have been right about the khans."

Chrom turned his attention to me. "Susannah?" he asked.

"And Frederick made the point that Regna Ferox is wary of foreigners. We're foreigners. We are literally armed foreigners approaching their wall." I continued.

"And where are you going with this?" Frederick asked me, hostility on his tongue.

"While you're still in distrust of me, you fail to notice that we're simply instigating them." I told the great knight.

Chrom pondered upon this situation carefully. "So, what is your suggestion?" he asked me.

"We simply have to fight if they make hostility. And if they don't, we simply tell them that you're the prince of Ylisse." I suggested.

He nodded at the statement. "That way, they'll grant us passage. I hope it'll work."

I smiled and rested my hand on his shoulder. "The only alternative besides me is a wine red haired myrmidon who ran after a risen chief with nothing but a tree branch that he lit on fire, and he even planned on killing it with that poor excuse of a weapon. I think my plan is rather sound."

Chrom chuckled playfully. "I thought his plan was to make you angry and drive you to toss an iron sword at him so that he may finish off the enemy."

I smirked. "Ladon **had** to tell you about that, didn't he."

"Well, I **pay** him." he replied.

"Why don't you just halt his payments?"

"He's taking care of his little sister too. It would be unfair to both of them."

I smiled to him. "You're sweet."

"Halt! Who goes there?!" a blonde woman in thick knight's armor called down on us.

_ Moment's ruined. Thanks, you jackal._ Chrom's face returned to professional, serious straits

and he responded to the woman. "In the name of House Ylisse, I seek audience with the khans!"

"Not another step, my bold lad!" she commanded as lancers drew their artillery. "I have lancers at the ready!"

"Hold, my lady!" Frederick urged. "We are not your enemy! Exalt Emmeryn herself sent us to discuss matters of mutual interest."

"My only interest is keeping you out of Regna Ferox, brigand!" she retorted to the man, as if unamused.

"B-Brigand? Now see here—." he began to retort.

"You think you're the first 'Ylisseans' to try and cross our border?" she interrupted him, incredulously. "I have the authority to fell such impostors where they stand."

Frederick's expression hardened, as if he was personally disrespected. "How dare you! You are in the presence of Prince Chrom, the exalt's own blood!"

"Ha! Yes, indeed—And I'm the queen of Valm!" she mocked. "You do realize that impersonating royalty is a capital offense, yes?"

"Do you see anyone else with his features, my lady?" Frederick retorted, as I smirked and giggled a bit at how personal he was making this scuffle.

"Mmm... Then perhaps we should settle this the Feroxi way." she concluded. "You claim to be the Prince of Ylisse? Then prove it on the battlefield!"

"Oh, Emmeryn won't like this at all." Chrom grumbled. "My good lady, if you'll just listen—."

"I've heard quite enough. Attack!" she commanded her large number of forces.

_ Where did Ladon go? _I looked around momentarily, then upon a momentary notice that he was no longer here with us, I scowled. _He always has to leave, right before I can assess our plan of action. _"Hey, Susannah, where's Ladon?" Chrom asked as I looked at him, an expression of surprise on my face.

_I __**just**__ asked that question. _"He left again." I blatantly told him.

He simply sighed and closed his eyes as he did so. "You would think that he'd **tell** me about that." he complained.

_No shit. _"He told **me** about it." Virion interjected as he walked up to us, a more neutral expression of the face. "His prices are three thousand normally, ten thousand as a ramification for his little sister sustaining wounds and **thirty** thousand as a ramification for Susannah failing to meet the objective of, and I quote ' have you join me soon'." he elaborated.

_Yeah that's Ladon alright. _"Ladon must have sensed something, he's done it twice before. On the night of the Risen appearance and the blockade of the creatures on our way here." I justified. "Either he sensed something or he's a little too bloodthirsty for us."

Chrom began to ponder on this now. Then the idea came to him. "Virion, you tag up with Jonathan and tell him to find Ladon and join him." he ordered Virion as the other nodded and made his way off. "Susannah, you stay with Hikari again, and tell Stahl to stick with Sully and for Frederick to iron wall Lissa."

I nodded and walked off, the rest of the members, including Hikari looking at me. "Okay, listen up." I began. "The longfort has two gates in an entry system, both are barred off from us no thanks to the commander's hostility. Ladon must have foreseen this, because he left for the eastern gate moments before the initial argument. Jonathan and Virion are heading there to join him, whilst we take the western gate and anaconda our way into the center and take over." I declared before I began the pairings for battle. "Sully and Stahl, Frederick and Lissa, and Hikari and I will be our splinter groups of the western phalanx. Frederick, you two are to form a mystic tower, tank your way through the archers and plow through the gate. Sully and Stahl, you two are our Cerberus function, you're to do nothing but tear your way through the cavalry in front of us to knock them down while Hikari and I slash and burn our way to the commanding officer, forcing whoever remains to throw up the white flag."

"Right." they unanimously affirmed, each in their own tones of approval or complaint as they splintered off into their sections and teams.

All except for three, an unaccounted Sumia, Vaike, and Miriel... make that four. I looked around, and I found that I couldn't see Kellam anywhere. He was probably with Chrom, hopefully, the man needed some more organization in his life. "What about us?" Miriel asked.

Miriel and Vaike stood before me, and I had an idea. "You two team up and join us. Miriel, you stay with Vaike while I remain paired with Hikari. I'll brandish iron-forged weaponry with Vaike while you two serve as our fire." I directed quickly.

"Understood." Miriel answered while she adjusted her bifocals.

Vaike grinned cheekily and held his axe over the shoulder. "I dunno about you guys, but the Vaike is excited." he declared.

"Why am I not surprised?" she asked, a cold shoulder evident even in the blizzard.

_It's time like these that make me want to have a full length conversation with Ladon._ "We'd better get ready, Oneesan." Hikari told me as she tugged my hand cutely, and as I saw her cute little face expectantly gazing at me, I smiled.

"Yeah, we should get going." I agreed with her as I took out my iron sword.

As the four of us made our way to the western gate, I felt this enigmatic feeling of some form of sensuality. As I ran through what I could be thinking, I knew it wasn't fear. Fear is a natural element of battle, and we're laying siege on one of the continent's border walls. It wasn't for any of the people in our force, and it wasn't Hikari. But when I got to Hikari, it became very close. So that led to one inevitable conclusion, I was beginning to care about her brother, Ladon.

_ Ladon, I hope that you're not gonna be stupid this time. I don't want you to get hurt._

Widening my eyes momentarily, I shook my head. _Wait, why do I care about Ladon? He's just a slice happy myrmidon who doesn't have any manners!_

_ But damn, he has such a nice ass._

_ Shut up!_

_ And have you seen his hair? Does he even know that shade of red is my favorite color?_

_ Naga save us, I don't care about some myrmidon's hair!_

_ And his-_

"Susannah?" Miriel asked me.

Snapping out of my internal lust versus intellect argument, I smiled and nodded to her before looking forward. "Ready?" I asked.

"On your mark, m'lady." Frederick rather politely responded.

"Charge!" I battlecried as we burst through the gate.

XXXXXXXXX

**Ladon POV**

Sarah was... interesting to say the least. She moved just as fast as I did, as the two of us tore through an alarmingly frightening amount of heavily armored knights wielding a fair share of iron spears. Her sword was not a normal craft, same principle to mine. And for some reason her style of the sword... oh, her **style**!

It was as if we were using different variations of the same swings, the same slices, parry movements, everything. I sliced the horse's guts to bleed out while she leapt up and landed upon the horseman and stabbed him through the chest. And then it was all in sequence, she and I leapt onto opposite walls and ran along them before wall jumping off, onto a poor, unfortunate cavalier. I almost felt guilty when Sarah and I tore his heart out. The keyword of that sentence was "almost", because we were synchronized in our ruthless and bloodthirsty high to the point where I couldn't keep track of the great amount of men and women we were tearing into shreds. "Remind me who taught you how to fight?" I asked her as I quickly tilted, dodging the thrust of a knight's spear before I jammed Ikralis into his head, killing him.

"What's it to you?" she returned with a question as the two of us cleaved into a cavalier's horse's guts before I leapt and somersaulted with my sword protruding out, helm splitting him.

"A satisfaction to curiosity." I answered.

"I was trained by my father. What about you?"

We dashed at a knight and dodge shuffled in opposite direction to evade his spear thrust as the two of us sliced and basically decimated him. "Ah, father, sister, father's hired teachers, captain of the guard, the normal stuff." I answered.

A small squadron of cavaliers and mercenaries charged, the two of us brandishing our blades. "What, are you a royal?" she asked incredulously.

"Why would you assume I'm a royal?"

Before either of us could answer, we leapt from the ground to land on the shafts of iron lances that that tried to skewer us. Running up the lances, we sliced the heads from the necks of two cavaliers and from their shoulders we bound our way to make air superiority before slicing down two mercenaries. "And since when does everyone need so much cavalry?!" I shouted so she could hear me. "I'm seeing more cavalry than anything else!"

"Cavalry are said to be superior units on the battlefield, and this is supposed to be a border wall!" she called out to answer.

Parrying a mercenary's blade, I made him slip forward as I tore his head off. "Get the right weapon for horsemen and that theory is quickly disproved!"

"Only a royal would know that!" she replied.

"I'm not a royal!"

The two of us then saw something that we didn't **expect** to see. The archers were focusing entirely upon a lone Pegasus. Arrows were flying through the sky like raindrops, but the Pegasus rider was just dodging and evading masterfully. "What is that Pegasus rider doing? She'll get herself killed like that." Sarah commented.

"Sumia?" I asked as I peered closely and noticed Chrom upon the mount. "Sarah, we have to take out there archers."

"Can you say 'comeback'?!" Jonathan's voice called out as his horse leapt over us and the two of us witnessed him tearing through the ranks of archers.

Following punctures from spear came pinpoint by arrows, taking down the archers in a domino effect pattern. "I hope we're not too late." Virion commented as he strode to me, bow in hand.

I smirked. "You kept a **woman** waiting." I replied to him, signaling to Sarah. "Speaking of females, am I correct to assume that Susannah sent you my way?"

"That you are, Ladon. She is already blasting her way through the western gate, most of the force in what looks to be a juggernaut formation." Virion answered me.

"A smarter person would have sent a scout to get the key for the gate." I criticized.

"You ran off to the east gate."

Momentarily, I was silent. "And you couldn't have sent Kellam? He seems rather stealthy."

"We couldn't find him." he replied.

"Aha! See? Stealthy. I like it." I responded.

"I'll take note of that, next time."

"You and Jonathan should sabotage their welcoming enemies. Tell Susannah to join us against the commanding officer once her brigade breaks through the defensive front. Sarah and I will make our way to the head of the serpent." I ordered him as I turned to Sarah and nodded to her, before turning back to him. "And tell her to use her head for something other than a helmet holder!"

With no more words, the two of us saw that the commander had set up a flank of cavalry and myrmidons, a few mercenaries as well. Swords and spears, blocking her as a building block formation. "We're punching through that, aren't we?" I asked her.

"More like wiping them off of the map." she retorted as she readied her sword.

"Fair enough." I affirmed as we dashed forward.

Working in a chain effect of combined strikes and slices, Sarah and I made an effective little blade storm, as the two of us leapt onto the horses of two cavaliers, kick-starting for us to bounce off of them and split two more heads open. "Okay, seriously, the cavalry is starting to irritate **me** now." Sarah commented as she sliced the head off of a mercenary.

"We'd better head for the commander's post and take her down quickly." I affirmed as I caught a sword arm before snapping the ulna and digging my sword into his ribs.

XXXXXXXXX

**Susannah POV**

_Naga have mercy on my soul, __**why**__ is there so much cavalry up here? _Whilst in my train of continuous mental strain, I readied myself as a mercenary ran to me and lunged with an iron sword. Bracing my sword against his sinew, I deflected his swing and lashed metal into him and witnessed as he stumbled back into Hikari's fireball. Smirking, I dashed at him and horizontally slashed into his chest, finishing him off as he lay lifeless on the ground. "Oneesan!" Hikari called out as I heard the sound of a man screaming behind me and catching on fire behind me, before I took a pace forward and used two hands to swing my sword to silence such bloodcurdling screams.

Needless to say, it worked. A charred man lay dead, smoldering at my feet as I sweat a bit and panted softly, a cute little Hikari skipping to my side. "Let's go take down some more bad guys, Oneesan!"

I smiled to her and giggled softly. _Oh Hikari, you're just the cutest thing!_ "Seriously, what do those words mean?"

She smiled at me, her eyes twinkling. "Oniichan means big brother. Oneesan means big sister." she explained.

I smiled and got on her level of height by crouching before kissing her cheek. "You're my favorite, you know that?" I asked her sweetly.

She winked playfully at me. "I'm everybody's favorite, Oneesan."

I squinted my eyes and smirked. "You're getting smug, just like Oniichan."

Just as I said that, Hikari pointed behind me, smiling. "There he is!"

Turning around, I watched as he was ferociously tearing through the ranks of enemy soldiers, gracefully and ferociously, like a dancing storm of razors. Seeing him so viciously rending the enemy asunder, it looked like he was having **fun**. There was only one problem. He was in partnership with a blonde woman in black armor and a mantled cloak, and a strange blade. **That** was where I got angry, and the hand that held my sword trembled. "Oneesan?" Hikari asked softly.

Soon after, I ran over to him, blade brandished. Hikari followed me. "Ladon!" I screamed as the two of them ripped a mercenary to shreds, and he turned around.

Leaping into the air, I flew over the two of them and dealt a mortal blow to a mercenary. Seconds after, he tumbled back and flopped to his death on the stone floor. "Oh, Susannah. Hello." Ladon greeted simply.

_You partner with another woman after running off and leaving your cute little sister with me, __**before**__ things go awry with that knight woman on this __**godforsaken**__ wall, and now you're just—!_

"Ladon, we'd better get moving." the blonde told him.

Brandishing my iron sword, I glared at the woman, and Ladon took a pace back. "You shut your trap, this is my siege, not yours." I declared.

Ladon stepped forward a bit, making me turn my attention back to him. "Susannah, cool your temper."

"And **where** did you get that weapon? I swear to the gods, Ladon, if you've been hiding that sword from us on the **walk** here, when we were attacked by those risen, I'm going to—." I yelled.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Is your girlfriend gonna impede on this thing or are we going to actually finish this up?" she asked him.

Taking exception to that, and unhinging my colorfully instigative nature, I swung my sword at her, only for her to dodge my strike. "You shut your mouth. You know nothing. You **think** you know things, but you don't." I lectured the wench angrily.

"Susannah, stop it." Ladon demanded.

I glared at him, like a Gorgon trying to turn him to stone. "You're defending her?"

"She's been helping me take out the forces on the east side of this Greatwall that your prince has been so bizarrely set on invading with 'diplomacy'. I knew from the start that it would resort to this, so unless you wish for me to defeat you in argument, **stop impeding** **on your own improvisation operation, and help us take down the commander.**" he thunderously burst at me.

"Oniichan?" Hikari asked him.

He gazed upon his little sister softly, as if there was a genuine concern from him under the hard, methodical exterior. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

She smiled softly to him, nodding. "You and Oneesan have a job to do."

He sighed and looked at the woman. "Sarah. We make our way to the enemy."

"Finally." she remarked, to my annoyance.

"Susannah, Hikari, with you two assisting us, it will be faster." Ladon told us.

_**I am not assisting that woman**__... _I felt my anger ebb away at his suggestion, though. He was starting to trust me to have his back, I could feel it resonating within him somehow. He trusted me with his sister, because I was keeping her safe while she helped me fight alongside Chrom. He wasn't as wary of me. "We still need to clear all of these Feroxi out of their way, or they'll pile upon us when we go after their commander."

"That's why we have your brigade of Shepherds and Jonathan working with the archer."

"Virion." I corrected.

"Yes, Virion."

"And what happened with the Pegasus?" he asked me.

"When be busted through, archers were raining arrows down, and most of them towards Chrom. Sumia came along, and swept him into the sky." I answered him.

"I'd say something to correct you, but I lack the vocabulary." Chrom stated as he and Sumia touched down with the four of us.

Ladon smirked. "Well, well, the Prince comes in clean, like always." he remarked.

Turning his attention to Ladon, Chrom took out Falchion. "Ladon, couldn't you have warned me about this? **Before** you ran off?"

"I **did**. You just didn't listen to me." he snapped. "I **told** you, these are a warlike people, based on strength. And thus, attacking."

Chrom simply sighed at such a response. "Fair enough. I'll have to trust in **both** of your judgments."

"That's better." Ladon affirmed. "Now you two lovebirds need to stick with us, we're bringing this bout to a close."

The blonde and Ladon dashed away, and Chrom simply exchanged confused glances with Sumia. "Was he talking about us, captain?" Sumia asked him.

He blushed at the question. "I don't know." he bubbled.

I rolled my eyes, smiling. "Can we get a move on please?"

Hikari tugged at my sleeve. "Oneesan, you're not supposed to rush a kiss." she whined.

I smiled gleefully to the little girl as the two "lovebirds" scrambled to follow Ladon and his new friend. "You are just so darned cute." I told her, brandishing my blade. "Come on, let's go help out. We're almost done."

XXXXXXXXX

**Ladon POV**

The battle was reaching its height as we rushed our way to the head of the snake. Arrows let fly all over the battlefield of stone wall, Jonathan and Virion were riding gallantly and raining down fury and arrows. The mage, Miriel, and Vaike were bashing and burning any and all enemies who dared to take a woman and a neanderthal for jokes. Bludgeoning and blazing through the same cloud of enemy soldiers that Jonathan wade through with the archer, the two of them proved to be a rather effectual team. Susannah slashed and Hikari blasted alongside the courtship of razors that was in effect the pairing of Sarah and I. Frederick and Lissa were the ever so vigilant mystic tower, balming the wounds while Frederick proved the steadfast wall. Taking flight was Sumia alongside the prince, and they tore through by lance and Falchion like two lovers in the heat of battle. Flames and blood were everywhere as the six of us tore our way through steel and flesh to make way to the enemy to finish this damnable skirmish, and gods help the exalt, I was enjoying it now.

Deep down, I wanted reinforcements to come in ocean tides to keep this going forever and ever, or at least until we run out of energy and the enemy kill us. But that wouldn't come to pass as we stood before the blonde woman in knight's armor. Upon seeing a Pegasus knight, the prince, a myrmidon, a rogue swordswoman, the tactician and a little mage standing before her, she simply smirked and sneered, brandishing her steel pike. "So, you're tagging along the 'Ylisseans', foreigner?" she asked.

"We're all foreigners... who's the one you meant?" Sarah asked her.

"The blood haired one." Raimi answered. "Ladon."

I sighed. "You remembered my name. I'm so honored, Raimi."

Hikari smiled, waving. "Ohayo Raimi-san!"

Chuckling, Raimi waved back. "Your brother still being a bonehead?" she asked her.

"He always is!" Hikari bubbled happily.

"Wait, how do you two know her?" Susannah griped.

"We met her while heading past the wall and into Ylisse." I answered her. "And Raimi's the commander here. So naturally she had to make sure we weren't criminals."

"So, what brings you back-ways?" the blonde asked me. "If you'd asked politely, I'd let both of you back into the land in a heartbeat."

Sighing, I took stance. "I work with Chrom and his force. We **all** need entry into Ferox. I'm going to ask politely **once**, because you still owe me from the contest."

Raimi stood fast. "Can't. I'll get dishonorably discharged."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I told her, genuine feeling leaving a taste of remorse on my airy words before I took a breath inwards, via my nostrils. "**Attack!**"

With my wail of fury, Sarah and I leapt forward, slicing down and cleaving into her armor, earning us a growl of spiteful reaction. "Gah-!"

Both of us instantly shoulder bashed Raimi, knocking her backwards. "Susannah, Hikari, now!" I signaled.

"Banzai!" Hikari battlecried as twin clusters of amber flames splashed onto Raimi, leaving her armor plating red hot, and some small areas were white with searing temperature.

What was unexpected, though, was Raimi's stomp and retaliation rebound. She dashed forward, grazing my ribs with her lance, earning my groaning of pain and stumbling back from the kinetic force. "Oniichan!" Hikari whimpered as I was run through again, rushed back.

"Chrom, Sumia!" Susannah signaled as the two of them descent and punctured into her.

"Rrrgh... yowch." I griped as I took out a beige sack of balm. "Give me a moment to salve my wounds."

"Hey, where'd you get that vulnerary?" Susannah asked.

Looking up at her incredulously, I began to buff up my scrapes with the vulnerary balm. "I always have this on me. Hikari has one too."

Widening her eyes, she backed up and craned. "You two have vulneraries on you and don't report this to me? For inventory?"

"I don't trust you with my supplies." I told her.

Looking to Hikari, she only got a shrug from my sister. "Oniichan tells me not to."

Looking back to me, I could now see how flustered and annoyed she was. "How long did you have that black sword?"

"Ikralis?" Hikari asked.

"It has a **name**?" Susannah growled.

"I've had it for five years. I found it and kept it." I answered her, as I turned my attention to Hikari. "You can use Salvation now."

She smiled and cheered. "Salvation?" Susannah asked me, a burning stare in the eyes.

Taking out a golden tome with a sun on the cover, the young girl cheered and cast her hand forth at Raimi. "Yahoo!"

Moments later, a windforce blew along and I beheld a large orb of energy ignite and build up in mass on Raimi's breastplates, until a small nebula of light broke out like the oxygen from a bubble. "Aaah!" Raimi cried out.

"What the hell was that?" Sarah asked.

I saw a javelin puncture into Raimi's white hot plates, and she fell down. All of us looked back, gazing and beholding in purest awe at a perfectly positioned Jonathan, in the most theatrical and epic position of someone who just threw the spear of destiny at someone. Smirking perfectly, he might as well have **glistened** in the snowfall with a ballerina's radiance at how perfect he displayed his showmanship. "It's just been revoked."

Salving my wounds, I closed my eyes tightly and shook my head. "Gods damn it all, Jonathan..." I grumbled in annoyance.

"Oh wait, did I get her down?" he asked in amazement.

"Uh... yeah. I think you did." Sarah answered him.

Susannah walked away from me, and called out. "Commander Raimi's down! We need a cleric or some vulneraries! We've achieved victory!"

Standing fully, I put Ikralis away and signaled over to Jonathan to get our payment from Chrom. "That was a pretty gutsy move, Ladon." Chrom commented.

"One has to be, we can't all be smarter than everyone. That's Susannah's job, the mind, the tactician." I told him as we collected our gold.

"Even then, you don't have to always rush off without telling us."

I cocked an eyebrow at that. "I told Virion to tell you. I always tell **someone** and relay the message to you." I argued. "Chrom, I know plenty. **Plenty**. Especially with matters involving the Khans, Plegians and Valmese."

"So you simply **knew** that Raimi was going to attack us." Chrom called me out.

"Very **well**." I told him. "I've met her before, crossing the wall to get into Ylisse."

Our eyes locked. "So you know people and battle."

I nodded incredulously. "I would say so. Yes."

Chrom and I were simply silent now. I could feel everyone looking at me in a sort of astonishment that goes to show for being surprised by my words. Even Hikari covered her mouth in surprise, gazing at me. Susannah was just staring at me. Shaking his head, Chrom sighed. "Next time, can you just give me some sort of a signal ahead of time?" he asked.

"Yeah. Just take consideration of **everyone's** word, would ya?" I responded as I made my way over to Sarah.

Smiling and crossing her arms, she stood there, her lemon locks flowing in the wind. "Thanks for takin' me up the stone wall, sport." she thanked.

Smirking, I popped my neck. "Ah, anything for a good dose of adventure in my life."

"So where are you gonna go now?"

"Well, I gotta stick with my crew." I answered her simply.

Smirking, she put one hand on her hip. "That is so darned cute."

"Hey, shut up. They pay."

She rose a brow. "How well?"

"I just got three thousand." I answered.

"Only three thousand?" she chuckled humoredly.

"I only asked for three thousand. I have more saved up from my other missions under this guy."

"What was his name again?" she asked.

"Chrom. He's the Ylissean Prince... or something, I hardly pay attention." Jonathan inserted, jingling his coin sack.

Sarah smirked. "Dragons always favor royalty. But... Just where did you get that weapon?"

Holding it up, and examining it with Jonathan and Sarah, I replied. "Ikralis? I found it in a cave. It was in the ground, next to a sleeping black dragon."

She smiled eagerly, squinting in delight. "Mine too." she held up her blade. "I called mine Godendag. Only mine woke the beast."

I widened my eyes at that. "Nonsense. It would have eaten you, you're crunchy and go good with tomatoes."

"**She** didn't." she corrected me. "She could have, though, she was very powerful and temperamental."

"Ahem!" Susannah coughed.

The three of us turned towards her. She was made out to be rather angry, and the fact that she held her iron blade so tightly proved my hypothesis correct. "Can I help you, Susannah?"

"I'd defend myself if I were you." Jonathan suggested.

Turning my attention to him, I gestured a hand of irritation in like mindedness with the angry woman. "Hey, keep it closed for a few seconds." I demanded.

"I wouldn't be so quick to shut him down." she declared as I turned back her way.

Judging from how irritated and angry she looked, I gripped onto Ikralis cautiously. "Susannah, be very careful about what you do." I warned.

"Why didn't you tell me about your sword? Or Hikari's tome? Or the fact that you were starting up your own little band of mercenaries under our name?" she interrogated.

"First of all, I didn't trust you with mine and Hikari's personal weapons. In the wrong hands, they're dangerous." I began.

"And I'm not Ylissean, so I'm not under your banner." Jonathan inserted.

"Neither am I, and I'm not following blood hair." Sarah interjected.

Looking back at her, I sighed. "You're really good with the sword, I was hoping you'd come with us."

"I **am**." she replied. "I'm not gonna be your crony though."

"I prefer the terminology, 'soldier'."

"Better." she affirmed. "Or battle mage."

"You can use tomes?" Jonathan asked.

"**Excuse me!**" Susannah screamed.

"Your lover is really being sour." Sarah commented as I turned my attention to the tactician.

"Be careful, she can use magic too." I warned her informatively.

"I am **not** his lover." Susannah growled.

"Then stop **arguing** with him and tell us what you want." Jonathan offered a solution.

Putting her iron blade away and taking out a thunder tome, she cast her hand towards me. Barring my blade in front of me with deft hands upon my hilt, the thunderbolt deflected from the ebony metal to the side. My blade was unmarred, but smoking and vibrating a tiny bit, with a subtle and yet aftershocked ring to my ears from the vibrations. Glaring at her soullessly, dead of emotion or stimuli, I craned my neck, popping it. "Try that again." I dared her.

Brandishing blade and pike, Jonathan and Sarah stood fast. "Hold it, hold it!" Vaike shouted, as he rushed in, axe in hand over his shoulder. "What seems to be the problem here?"

"I just got thunderstruck by Susannah. I'm unharmed." I answered him plainly. "She's unhappy with the fact that Hikari and I don't trust our weapons and tomes to her."

Turning to Susannah, all he got was her turning around and huffing as she fled in a stomping fit. "Yes. I can use tomes." Sarah answered me.

"What kind?"

"I can use dark tomes." she took out a lilac skinned book with some sort of brand scratched deliriously in black ink onto the cover. "Purple ones are dark, right?"

"Yeah. The red ones are fire, green ones are wind and the yellow ones are thunder. That's a dark tome." I answered meticulously.

"But mine's yellow, and it's not a zappy spell!" Hikari chimed in as she nudged me like an excited puppy, getting our attention.

"It's more like a white cream color." I told her. "Oh, this is my little sister, Sarah. Her name's Hikari."

"She's just as loud as the strategist." Sarah commented.

She brightened up at Sarah's analysis, giggling and she may as well have been sparkling. "I try."

We simply laughed at that remark of hers, and even when she kicked me in the shin, I was both laughing and coughing from the pain. I hardly knew why, but the three of us (including my sister) were compatible. We were our own little gang right now, and somewhere deep inside, Hikari and I knew that the group would only get bigger.

XXXXXXXXX

**Susannah POV**

_Stupid Ladon. Stupid Jonathan. Stupid blonde woman. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I hate them I hate them I hate the—!_ "Hey, Susannah." Chrom called over to me.

Walking over to him, my face feeling hot and beet red, I beheld my friend and comrade. "Yes, yes, is uh... Is Raimi up?" I slumped.

Chrom gave me the face of skepticism, and uncertainty in my stability of mood. I could see it rather well. "She's going to escort us to Arena Ferox to meet with Khan Flavia. I um... Are you okay?"

"No... Ladon concealed his weapon, and Hikari had this tome I've never heard of and there's this blonde woman he's bringing with him and it annoys me." I whined to him.

He closed his eyes, and smiled. "Do I detect jealousy?" he chuckled.

"**No you don't detect jealousy, you detect betrayal.**" I snapped vigorously.

Chrom reeled back a bit, gesturing with both open hands. "Betrayal from whom? Ladon?" Chrom asked imperatively.

I huffed and sighed, crossing my arms. "We work battle so well... but he doesn't trust me with his weapon. One that he was **concealing** from me. He doesn't trust my supplies, Sarah doesn't look like **she's** going to trust her supplies with me, and he doesn't trust little Hikari's supplies with me!" I complained.

"You made that sound like the part about Hikari was a lower blow."

"She's so adorable and I love her cute little face!" I whined in my answer. "And I was growing to trust those two, they helped us out with our first and second Risen encounters. In the middle of the night too, for the first one."

"Is it possible you're looking at this the wrong way?" Miriel asked, walking towards us.

Trying to calm down, I cleared my throat. "What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Well, Ladon is a sellsword, and Hikari is his little sister and trusts him, knowing full well his nature and his every attribute. How many times have you been with his sister?"

Pondering momentarily, an epiphany began to grow and well up within me. "All the time." I answered.

"What happened when you were first with her?"

"We were... in the south town, and she helped us take down this bandit leader." I answered, gathering the bits and pieces as if they were falling apples.

"From what Chrom has told me, it was shortly after you met Hikari that you met Ladon. And he's been allowing both of you to fight together ever since." Miriel continued.

"Ehh, Virion paired up with her once. But yes."

"On the south road, he left you with her as her caretaker. And although you might only know so much about it, the more you apply your skill over magic, the more skill you gain. And you two have been tearing through waves of the undead with only so much help." she explained.

I suddenly began to heat up inside, excited and positive, almost to the height of optimism. "So you're telling me they don't trust me with their supplies. But Ladon trusts me with Hikari's life, and her growth." I summarized.

"Not just you. Us all. If he didn't, he'd add a fee if Hikari was with anyone but you."

I didn't know it until later, but I was smiling genuinely at the thought. "Oh stop it you." I bashfully retorted, batting away at her vertically with a politely flimsy hand.

Chrom smiled, gesturing to the mage. "See? Just have faith, Susannah."

Ladon and his crew made their way to the three of us, keeping his gaze purely away from me and towards Chrom and Miriel. "Chrom, is Raimi up? Hikari's complaining about the cold." he asked him.

Chrom smiled, nodding to him. "Yes, we're well on the way."

"Alright. Thanks." he replied, beginning to turn and leave with his sister and his crew members.

"Hey, hold on a moment, Ladon." Chrom insisted.

Turning back to him, slowly, eerily and unhurriedly, he stood. "Need somethin'?"

"What happened between you and Susannah?"

Closing his eyes and taking in a breath, he exhaled before opening his eyes. "She asked a question. I answered her. Sarah and Jonathan were carrying out side talk, and it must've aggravated her or something because she used a thunder spell on me." he explained. "I understand where she's coming from. She's your tactician, the others trust her with their weapons and supplies because it's standard bronze, iron and steel. Tomes aren't hard to write and buy. But these weapons aren't found in your stores, blacksmiths and artisans can't duplicate them very well. That's why I don't trust her with Ikralis and Salvation. They haven't burnt out, or shown any wear and tear in the five years of heavy use. But let me ask, would you trust someone you hardly met a few days ago with Falchion? Or the fabled Book of Naga?"

Chrom nodded his head, crossing his arms. "Ladon, I understand."

"But, I have cause to trust you. You keep Jonathan with a lance, and you gave Hikari a means to fight when most would keep a young girl at bay, at camp, with a guardsman or two."

I felt it, in his words, that his voice warmed, and he meant the last half of the sentences for someone besides the Ylissean prince. "I couldn't be any more grateful." Ladon finished, not looking at me, but talking to me.

"... I'm sorry about the..." I began nervously.

"Don't be. It feels good to be able to literally apply the pun, 'you have me thunderstruck'." Ladon finished, with a smirk.

"Boooooooo." Jonathan and Sarah simultaneously booed him.

Turning to them, he rose his arms in his bodily language. "Hey, come on, really? Right now?"

I smiled and walked over to him silently, as they continued. "You're the one who made the pun." Jon answered.

"Deterioration is the alleviation of alliteration." he countered.

"No defense says that made any sense."

"**Why** are we rhyming?" he asked them before I covered his eyes with my hands, and he tumbled into me slightly, into which I held him from a full fall.

"Try not to be so grouchy. And talk to people more. Or you'll be electrified." I lectured him softly, with a smile before I performed the action that would later, unbeknownst to me, influence so much of my time with him.

Pressing his cheek to my lips, I kissed his cheek softly, yet demandingly, before letting go of his body and letting him fall into the snow. Turning around in comedic, romantic and uneventful bliss, I made my way into the halls of the Greatwall, to make my way into Ferox with the rest of Chrom's Shepherds. "Alright everyone. Moving on!"

_Gods save me, he smells so nice._

Sighing silently and smiling, I continued to walk. _Shut up, Susannah._

I had absolutely no problems for the entire day. And it would take a solid two days on the road to Arena Ferox. A few carts carried our supplies and our things, but it took two days to go.

**Support Conversation: Ladon and Chrom**

Chrom: "Hmm...that cloud doesn't look so good."

Ladon: "Chrom, what are you doing?"

Chrom, smiling: "Oh, good afternoon, Ladon."

Ladon: "Ah, looks like we're gonna have good weather for the next few days."

Chrom: "Wait, how could you tell?"

Ladon, smiling: "I learned how to interpret weather patterns when I was a boy."

Chrom, nervous: "But that cloud up there...?"

Ladon: "With the wind we're getting, that cloud will build up elsewhere, or dissipate." 

Chrom: "Could you teach me to do that?"

Ladon, smiling: "Perhaps if you beat me in a game of Brigand's Dice."

Chrom, very nervous: "You want to gamble to see if I can learn about the weather?"

Ladon: "A good leader knows how to do a little bit of everything."

Chrom, nervous: "I don't know."

Ladon, smiling: "No money involved. This is a teaching experience."

Chrom, serious: "Very well. Let's do this."

***Relationship increased to level C***

**Support Relationship: Susannah and Hikari**

Susannah: "Hmm..."

Hikari: "Oneesan?"

Susannah, smiling: "Oh, um.." *ahem* "Ohayo, neechan."

Hikari, smiling: "You can talk Chonsin?"

Susannah, smiling: "No, no, I'm reading this book about it."

Hikari: "Oneesan, you're not gonna learn everything in books."

Susannah, nervous: "What do you mean?"

Hikari: "Oneesan means older sister. Imouto means younger sister."

Susannah, nervous: "Maybe I should stick to my language."

Hikari, smiling: "I could teach you."

Susannah, smiling: "Arigatou, Hikari-chan."

Hikari, smiling: "Doitashimashite!"

***Relationship increased to level C***


	7. Two Falchions, Two Interlopers

**Ladon POV**

Sniffing to clear my sinuses, I strolled alongside the Shepherds on their way to Arena Ferox. I was with my crew, consisting of my sister Hikari, and my two partners, Jonathan the cavalier and Sarah the battle mage. Walking with us were Stahl and Sully, another two cavaliers, on their horses. Chrom and Susannah lead us along the road, behind Raimi and her Feroxi envoy. We made unhurried, yet grand progress along the road that would take a lesser purposed man five days; we only took two. The earth practically made its way for us rather easy, almost sensing our purpose. That purpose, I hardly knew because this was assuredly something to do with international wartime politics and things such as that only matter when I'm paid. I lacked the care to really be involved with Chrom as an individual, he was my employer, and I was a sellsword. "Oniichan?" Hikari asked me.

That was the first bit of any real conversation on the road that I had in the last two days. Looking down to Hikari, I nodded casually. "Yeah?"

"Where are we going?"

"We're going back to Khan Flavia's place. The big one with all of the..." I told her, signaling her with sign language using my hands.

She smiled and almost hopped straight up. "Oh!"

"Yeah, we're going there."

"I wonder how Flavia-san's doing." Hikari told me.

"Hey, keep it down. I don't want people to be suspicious of us, so as far as we're concerned, we don't speak to them about it."

"Yes, Oniichan." Hikari affirmed, a tone of disappointment about her.

"So from what I'm hearing, we're not all goody goody with blue hair and loud lady." Sarah assumed.

"It's impolite to speak of such things, Sarah." I reprimanded the blonde battle mage. "Especially when such things are already implied."

She smiled, closing those ruby eyes of hers and shaking her head. "You're a mystery, berry head."

"As intended."

"Everyone knows he is that mysterious hero who saves the princess." Jonathan commented.

"There's no princess to save. Unless you mean Lissa, do you mean Lissa?"

"Does Lissa need saving?"

"Sarah, you're going to learn how to ignore his idiocy in less than a week." I assured her.

"I certainly hope so."

"I'm right here, you know." he complained.

"Exactly, and neither of us care." she answered him.

Continuing the long walk, I began to perceive some fell bewitchment overtaking me. It was a chill, and a tingle, and the faint urge to do something as nixed as sneezing. It came from the nearing Manor Ferox, and something told me, **multiple** things told me that someone was in there; someone that would cause me problems. "Hikari." I called, in a somewhat hushed voice.

"Nanni?" she responded.

"We have to hide our weapons. Grab me an iron blade, Jonathan two iron lances, and a wind and thunder tome for yourself." I told her, imperatively.

"Oh—Hai." she jumbled as she made her way to the convoy weapons hold.

"What about me?" Sarah cut in after Hikari left.

"You don't need to hide your weapons, and if you do, you're capable of snagging your own arms." I answered her.

"I don't think the Feroxi know that you have Ikralis, do they?" Jonathan asked me.

"They didn't know I was armed at all."

"With such harshness and brutality that these people exhibit? I'd have an army with me, just to be smart, a squadron to be safe." he began to rant.

"Jonathan, you need to learn that what you're saying isn't so much incorrect as it is irrelevant." I scolded him.

"Why would you say something like that? You know it's true."

"Let me say it in English this time." I snapped calmly. "Chrom's already doing that. Why do you think we're here?"

Silently riding his mare alongside the three of us, I saw without literally looking or observing the blonde gallantry, that he had that lantern lit in his brain to signify that he understood my meaning. "Precisely." I continued. "It's not my kindness or my friendliness that keeps me in my placement with the Ylissean prince. It's the fact that he knows we can get the job done. A little bit of gold given away, and he gets a good sellsword, a spell caster or two, and a dubious cavalier who should be in the theater business. We're his insurance to get the job done. And if not all of us, then Hikari and I. So, in short, my dubious friend, relax." I explained tediously.

"Alright, alright. No need to be so extravagant with your verbal abuse." he complained.

"Someone has to be." I finished.

As we made our way into Manor Ferox, the army found its halls to be quite luxurious while at the same time full of a vigor that comes from the liveliness and the gore of constant battle, constant excitement. It was trying to tell us (and by "us" I mean the observant people, so Chrom, Susannah, Miriel and I) that if you are not drunk, mad, or playful when you punch someone in the face, then you simply will not survive for very long in Feroxi culture. This country was basically the country that one would expect to be full of those strangely wrathful and lusty people that not only get stuff done with an excited power behind them acting as their gale force, but also would be dreaming of one day being that war hero or that soldier who gets to use as many members of the opposite sex for their pleasure after a day of absolutely perfect and splendorous slaughter. Ferox was the very rowdy and very powerful country on this continent that was unlike Ylisse, from what little I know about the latter. I haven't met Exalt Emmeryn. I don't know her governmental style of running a country, I don't know anything about her other than the fact that she doesn't wage war or battle as often as Plegia likes to antagonize people.

The halls were extravagant and royal, as anyone would expect, but also filled with energy. Some of us were in awe. Others were intimidated. Hikari and I were unfazed, but I was still uncomfortable. I had no problem with the location, nothing was wrong here. But at the same time, it was ominous. Taking this into thought, I made my way up to Susannah and Chrom. "I have no confidence in the idea that this is a trap, but I think that someone who would prove a powerful antagonist to us is in these halls." I told them earnestly.

"What makes you so sure?" Chrom asked me, over his shoulder.

"Surely you've felt that tingle in the back and the nixing of foreboding danger on you. Or you must have read at least one of the adventurous classics." I urged him.

"So, what, you're saying we have an enemy afoot?" Susannah interrogated.

"Yes."

Chrom and Susannah scanned around them, then locked eyes, as if to non verbally communicate. Half a minute later, I got my answer. "Price?" he requested.

"One thousand for each of us. Five thousand for me if Hikari sustains wounds."

"Why charge us more if Hikari sustains a wound?" Susannah curiously questioned me. "I never really understood that."

"Because she's my sister." I answered her. "You don't have any siblings, or any that are younger than you, I don't think so anyway; so you don't understand."

Walking back to the main group, I took the measure of breathing a bit slower to ease the salty burn of my rather vigorously shameful snap I gave to Susannah. "We in?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, we're in. Be prepared to mobilize on spot." I answered her.

"Do we stick by you?" Jonathan asked.

"Jonathan, you stick with Virion. You two seem to be rather amicable with one another. Sarah, you tag along with Miriel. Hikari, I'll need you to stick by Chrom this time." I arranged, popping my knuckles.

"What about you, Oniichan?" Hikari asked.

"Don't you worry about me, little one." I answered her softly, looking to Susannah. "I have my fair share of a plan."

"No being weird, Ladon." Sarah warned comically.

I smirked at such a warning. "We're all weird."

XXXXXXXXX

**Susannah POV**

"Prince Chrom, please wait here while I summon the khan." Raimi ever so politely requested of Chrom.

I smirked internally, keeping a straight face. _Yeah you_ _**better**_ _hurry the hell up and get the exalt before we kick your armored ass off of another wall._ "Of course." Chrom affirmed as Raimi strolled away.

Looking to Chrom in confusion, I spoke up. "Wait, the Khan's not here?"

Chrom turned his attention to me. "Out training, I'd wager." he answered as the two of us noticed Ladon silently walk up and join us. "The khans of Ferox prefer battle to politics."

Smirking, I exchanged glances with Ladon. Crossing his arms and glancing with me, he continued to listen. "Or rather, battle IS their politics." Chrom concluded as he turned to Ladon. "Permit me for asking, Ladon..." he began.

"I'm not Feroxi." the myrmidon told him in his low, stoic calm voice.

Now **I** was curious. "Where **are** you from?"

"Don't ask." he told us.

"Aw come on, Ladon." I complained, smiling. "Don't be such a rotten egg."

"I'll inform you on where Hikari and I are from later on." he told us.

"You seem uncomfortable, Ladon." Chrom stated in observation on how tense and monotonous he was.

"Ignore how I look, Chrom, I can hold a blade just fine." he told Chrom as an immediate response.

"Do you think something falls upon us now?"

"Hush, and do not tempt fate." Ladon snapped, imperatively. "Lest you conjure something upon us now."

"**Where** is the Khan? I bet he's finishing up in his post combat adrenaline rush with the daily passionate and energetic activities in the bed with multiple women." I suggested, grinning. "Heh heh."

"Is that so?" a woman's voice boomed.

I jumped up a bit, Ladon was unmoved, and Chrom flinched before a woman clad in red armor and slinging a silver sword across her shoulder strode into the room. She had tan skin, an athletic muscular build, blonde hair and pink lips. She was no lily liver, let it be certain. And it came to a surprise who she addressed first. "Ah, if it isn't Ladon?"

Chrom and I turned to the red haired myrmidon and beheld as he gave her a quite serious look with his sharp eyes. "Khan Flavia." he greeted.

She smirked. "Still giving me the stink eye."

"I don't mean to, just nervous about something." he apologized.

"Wait, Ladon, she's the Khan? And you know her?" Chrom asked him.

"For quite a while."

"When were you planning to tell us?" I asked him.

"I wasn't, because you were coming here and you were going to find out anyway because **she** would tell you." he answered me before returning to Flavia. "Pardon my company Flavia. They're not so trusting of me."

"At first, **I** wasn't so trusting of you."

"You're easy to win over, he isn't." Ladon reminded her as she laughed a bit.

"Still the same Ladon." Flavia smirked as she spied out Hikari next to him. "And do I detect little Hikari over there?"

Immediately, the little girl giggled and waved. "Ohayou!"

Waving in return, she smiled. "I really could use a lesson in Chonsin."

"We also caught up with Raimi."

Flavia simply laughed. "Well, I'm surprised you didn't straightforwardly kill her."

"I didn't deal the final blow, my cavalier did."

"Um, excuse me." I interrupted. "Can we do something other than catch up with warlords?"

Flavia's attention turned directly to me, sword slung over her shoulder. "And this must be your Ylissean tactician, Susannah." she summarized.

"That's correct. She's proven good to work with." Ladon told her.

_You're an asshole._ Flavia smirked. "Ah, so you're courting her."

"No way in all the hells!" I protested.

"Not in a millennium." Ladon simply stated.

Smiling with her eyes closed she continued. "Oh ho! I think I touched a nerve!"

"Can't irritate what doesn't exist with all of the nagging."

"He's so strange!" I yelled.

"Khan Flavia, if you would please allow us to get to the point!" Chrom called out.

Sighing, the Khan smiled at the prince. "Ah come on, I'm just lightening up this overly nice and dour courtroom. But if you insist, we will get down to business." her facial expression simmered down. "You have my apologies of the matter at our border."

"I don't very much like how you stationed a couple installments of those damned men just to stop border skirmishes. I'd like you to have a talk with your damn border guards." Chrom stated straightforwardly.

_Oh my gods that was basically what I was gonna say._ I dared not to smile, for this was not a casual time. Flavia, however, did. "Already accustomed to Feroxi politics, I see. Good thing you had Ladon and Hikari with you, those two are not so easily beaten." she responded.

"I had a couple other people with me. A cavalier and a dark knight with no horse." Ladon informed her.

"What? That can't be right. I'm surprised you're with Chrom at all, I can't believe that people are working under you." she argued.

"Actually, miss tan lady, we are working with him." Jonathan called out as he and Sarah stepped forward, and he waved his arm.

"One's weird and the other is basically a male ballerina."

Flavia chuckled. "Now it makes sense. Misfits join misfits."

"I think Chrom still wants to speak, we'll catch up later." Ladon told her as he stepped away.

"We would appreciate your support against Plegia, they keep sending bandit parties into our country to pillage our villages." Chrom stated.

"Alas, I can't. Once every few years, a contest is held between the East and West Khans to see who has power over the whole land. The West Khan currently holds power, I cannot do anything." Flavia responded.

"So coming here was a waste of time?" Chrom insinuated.

"Relax Chrom, the contest is upon us." Ladon told us plainly. "All we have to do is fight in their arena."

Looking at him, I could tell Chrom was suspicious and leery after having such a know-it-all among us. "How do you know?" the prince asked.

_How does he know?_ I frowned, but listened. "Because I **fought**. I took down a squad of axe fighters in front of twenty thousand people."

"That can't be right, by yourself?" I asked. "No one's that good."

"Oh, he is." Flavia agreed, grinning. "With his fists."

"I call liar! This is ridiculous, he can't be such a powerful man, I've seen him sustain injury." I pointed out, loudly.

"Perhaps you'd like to wager such a powerful statement, Susannah." Ladon dared me, his eyes boring into mine.

"Susannah, Ladon, enough." Chrom ordered us.

"Apologies." the myrmidon immediately responded.

Growling and clenching my teeth, I nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Good. So, might we make our way to the arena?" Chrom asked Flavia.

The warlord simply smiled excitedly. "Of course. It's only neighborly."

_Such an asshole_.

XXXXXXXXX

**Ladon POV**

"So, what's the gameplan?" Jonathan asked me.

"Same formations as I mentioned. We're fighting in the arena." I told him.

"Is it true that you actually took down a squad of axemen with only your hands?" Sarah asked me.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know how to use magic, I assume?"

"I don't."

"So you took down eight men with your hands." Jonathan stated to summarize.

"Twenty four. And I killed them with their own axes." I stated plainly.

Looking at his face, I saw that his eyes were wide with astonishment. Tilting my head and craning my neck, it was obvious that I was confused. "What?"

"So you're an axeman." he summarized.

"No, I'm a swordsman. But that doesn't mean I can't use my fair share of other things." I corrected him. "Do you need a blade?"

"I could use one, yes."

Catching one on my hand, I held it out to him as to offer the weapon. "I see that you're decent with the pike, but you'd need more than long range to fight efficiently." I told him as he took the brand and put it away into a sheath at his hip.

"Yes, I know."

"I'm glad, but you need to remember very efficiently what I say. You'll find that although I'm no Susannah, I'm quite a smart man." I finished as I heard footsteps.

"Ladon." Susannah's voice called behind me, close proximity and only raising her voice to get my attention.

"Yes Susannah?" I responded, turning around.

"I'm sorry."

"If you were actually sorry, your perpetual distrust of me would cease." I deadpanned. "Especially when I trust you with the life of my sister instead of Ikralis and Salvation."

She sighed. "I know, I know, it's just that you're so hard to read." she justified.

"Of course, I have very much to hide, as does Hikari." I stated plainly, popping my neck for air bubbles. "I am no liar. Neither is she. I'd appreciate if you didn't assume we are."

"Okay." she sombered.

"I'm sticking by you for the fight in the arena." I declared to her, watching her face react in astonishment.

"What about Hikari?"

"She's sticking by Chrom."

Her cheeks began to flush and she clenched to her coat tightly, earning my confusion. "I-I'll tell Chrom."

"Tell him also to only bring Virion and Miriel with him, maybe the blonde axe fighter too."

"He has a name."

"Vaike, I think."

"Okay." she affirmed as she walked away, and I could practically feel the tension.

"What's her deal?" Jonathan asked, while I turned around.

"Don't ask a man who doesn't know." I answered as I heard another set of footsteps, slightly clanking like metal. "Make way for the Arena. I'll be there soon."

With my signal, he left and I made my rotation full circle, seeing Flavia standing before me. Smirking and crossing her arms, she tilted her head and chuckled. "Why are you here?"

"Chrom brought me."

"You don't need the Prince for gold." she argued.

"He's a rather plentiful supply of it, actually. And Hikari's-." I began.

"-a picky eater-" we both simultaneously said as she cut me off.

"- I know." Flavia finished her sentence. "It's just… if you wanted gold, or to do what you're trying to do in the first place, you could have come to me."

"You know I wouldn't." I retorted. "I don't rely on people."

"No one said you would rely on me."

"Flavia, I'm not blind as to what you want." I declared sharply. "It's not something I will give."

She frowned at me. "I know you won't give it."

"Come here." I commanded, weight to my voice.

She glared at me incredulously. "Now you listen, whelp-." she growled.

"No one is here. We both know I'd be able to tell."

She clenched her teeth, before falling inexorably silent. One step at a time, she walked over to me and even pressed herself into my embrace, as I hugged her with one arm around her hip. "I'm truly sorry I left." I apologized.

"Then why did you leave anyway?" she asked, staring into my eyes.

"We both know why I left." I told her.

"You could run away from it." she offered, desperately.

"You're too strong and too independent to care about me."

"I may be, but Ladon…"

Quickly moving in, I pressed my face and my lips to hers. Hers were warm, smooth, well taken care of, a good taste to them. I lingered in this romance for the entirety of twenty seconds, multiple kisses took place before pulling away smoothly. "I still care about you, Flavia. I will always save you from certain death."

She was momentarily silent. "Stay."

"You tried once. It didn't work, it won't work this time."

"Not in Ferox…"

"I have a job."

She sighed. "I care about you. You damn pig."

I smirked and kissed her once more. "Hey, I'm a little more than a pig." I whispered before walking away. "You'll see me at midnight."

I made my way to the Arena and found that the others were waiting for me. Susannah and Chrom, Hikari and Miriel, and Jonathan alongside Sarah. I frowned and took out Ikralis. "What've we got, man?" I asked Chrom.

"Fighters, knights, and those two warriors from the night of the Risen." Chrom summarized.

"Whom?" I asked.

XXXXXXXXX

**Susannah POV**

_Flashback:_

"_He's going to be okay."_

_She had red hair, black and dark brown cloth and metal armor, and her face was covered under a copper and bronze masque that shielded her whole face with slender and multiple slits that allowed her to breathe and see. Her physique was that of a rather athletic and well toned woman, and she applied a salve in a blue, shiny bottle to Ladon's wounds with such finesse that showed she had more vocational skill than plainly fighting with a sword. Nodding, I breathed out. "Thank you." I said._

"_I'd keep him in bed, with a healer for a few days. That way his muscles will recover from the damage and he'll be able to fight again." she told me as she stood up._

"_Of course." I said in kind. "I didn't catch your name."_

"_You may call me Marth." a blue haired youth in a smaller, yet similar mask announced._

"_You may call me Celica." the young woman I was referring to stated._

"_The Hero King and the Blessed Maiden of old, eh?" Chrom asked._

In the distance, I saw them both. Wearing the right clothes and the right armor, I instantly knew that these were the same people. Marth and Celica stood among Feroxi mercenaries and armored knights, a couple axe fighters mixed in. "Doesn't look like we'll even need you this time," I started to say before turning my gaze to Ladon. "Ladon."

He was staring forward with an unbreakable focus, upon closer examination, I saw that he was breathing heavily. Some sweat was even coming from his forehead underneath his headband that covered his hairline. "H-hey, Ladon?" I asked him.

"What are their names?" he growled.

"What?"

"What. Are. Their. Names?" he sternly demanded as he glared at me. "The woman, what is hers?"

"Uhhh her name is Celica." I bumbled.

"That's a lie, Celica was the Blessed Maiden from history sagas." he growled.

"And the other one's name is Marth." I added quickly.

"Pardon me, but I'm going to be unavailable to assist you."

_What? He's ducking out of this? Is he freaking kidding me?_ "You're just pulling out on us?" I asked, frowning in disappointment.

"This 'Celica' is problematic. I will take her on my own, you need to keep everyone else out of my fight and take down Marth. Those two are fighting for the West Khan." he barked, stepping forward and unsheathing Ikralis.

"She saved your life from bleeding out that night, with the Risen." I told him.

"Favors don't necessarily apply to good intentions, my friend." he argued as he stepped forward ever more.

"Ladon…" I sombered.

Stopping in his tracks, he didn't look back at me. "I can tell that the enemy will play dirty. If that's the case, I need you to back me up." he requested of me.

_Subtle._ "Okay. What about Hikari?"

"Chrom looks like he's gonna be unavailable too, and I was originally going to have Hikari stick with him… Oh well, I really don't know—." he began.

"Hold on!" Another voice shouted out as someone rushed out, making it to a stopping point next to me.

Wearing black cloth robes and holding a thunder tome, he gripped his knee while hunched over and panting, sweating like a pig. Huffing and puffing, he held up an interjectory finger before he stood upright. He looked to be firm featured, hardly charismatic man with lilac purple hair he kept in a small and fashionably natural mane, and jasper eyes with light skin. "You're Ladon, correct?" he panted, his voice underneath the huffing a maturely smooth and yet lighter voice, like a newly made young man.

"I am he." the hired sword replied, not turning around to acknowledge him.

"Forgive me for being brash, I had to run here." he requested. "My name is Kirin. I had heard that you were here and I caught wind of your—."

"I don't pay. I work for Chrom."

"I'm not here for money, sir." the mage declared.

"In that case, you work for me."

Kirin tilted his head skeptically. "Just like that?"

"You survive, you're more than welcome. You get no assistance, you fight alone against any enemy men."

_That is so harsh!_ _Come on, let him pair up with—._ "That's fine." Kirin agreed.

_What?!_ "Good man. You survive, we talk." Ladon gave farewell as he strolled forward.

"Ladon, don't you find that unfair?!" I called out to him, irritation heavy on my voice.

"Anyone who literally seeks **me** out obviously has the strength to do this." he answered.

"But you didn't do this to Jonathan or Sarah!"

"We were facing undead in a horde and a battalion of Feroxi!" he called back, equally loud but not angrily. "The proportions are smaller here!"

"But—!"

"It's fine." Kirin interjected.

Whipping around to look at him, I stared at him incredulously. "These are Feroxi men, and you're required to be alone. This is just—."

"I'm not scared of eastern men and their axes." he simply swatted aside as he stepped forward. "I'll be back."

_Dammit Ladon you are such a fucking blackheart._ "Oneesan?" Hikari's cute voice asked me as I looked down to my left and found her looking up at me.

"Yes, Hikari?" I responded.

"Is Oniichan gonna be okay?" she asked me, tenderly.

_He's such an ass._ "Yes, why wouldn't he be?" I answered her with a gentle smile.

"He seemed scared. Really badly."

My expression faded into seriousness, but not hardened seriousness. "I saw it too. But Ladon's a brave man, he'll face his fears, sword in hand. He'll be okay."

"You sure?"

I smiled and stroked her hair. "I promise."

XXXXXXXXX

**Ladon POV**

"You! Your name is Celica, yes?!" I shouted out, seriously and provocatively.

The woman had ruby red hair, womanly and full grown breasts and curvature, dark brown and black armor and leather and cloth garbs, and her helmet was covering her face and the top of her head, but not her hair. The helmet itself was the same silvery metal as her asymmetrical shoulder plating and the facial cover had breathing holes that very expertly allowed her to see and breathe, but not be seen.

Stepping forward, she reached for her upper back, gripping a hilt. She offered no word of reply as she unsheathed something truly terrifying to add onto my strain even worse. The black metal, the flawless reflectivity of the blade, the impeccable sharpness, and its shape revealed it all. She held Ikralis in her hand, brandishing it against me. The curved clawlike blade with the bandaged hilt was unmistakable. My eyes were fixated on it, sharply, trying to find a way to say that it was just a sorry excuse for an imitation. It wasn't. "Where the hell did you get that?" I demanded.

She took stance against me, prompting me to take stance against her. "I asked you a question, girl." I growled as I readied my weapon.

"I don't listen to bastards." she retorted as she readied hers.

Both of us rushed forward and she brought Ikralis up with a double handed grip before swinging down with tremendous power, as I braced my own weapon to halt the swing with steady strength. "This sword doesn't belong to you, girl." I chided spitefully.

She growled in disgust. "Yes, it does, craven fool." she spat as I used the muscles in my legs to help me push her back.

"Who gave it to you?"

She inched back and down, bringing her sword to the ipsilateral hip. "My father!" she barked as she dashed forward with a surprisingly imposing speed of footwork.

Sneering and clenching my teeth, I found a point of vulnerability and when her left foot touched down, I power kicked the back of her ankle, causing an imbalance and making her fall harshly onto the arena's stone floor. "I assume he taught you to fight, too?"

Swinging Ikralis down upon her, it only took one of her arms to hold Ikralis in brace and block my attack. "What's it to you, bounty hunter?"

She pushed me off and I leapt backwards a few yards, taking stance again. "Quite a few things, actually." I answered as I drew my weapon back to the ipsilateral hip.

Leaping to her feet, she saw my ploy and drew back her parallel Ikralis all the same. "I know that technique, it won't work."

I smirked. "No, you don't."

My body instantly began to heat up as I noticed her face illuminate with a pale orange glow and the widening of her eyes. "If you did, it would have worked."

Leaping forward in a soundless rush, not even the resistance of wind and air slowed me down as I carved into her right hip and stopped moving a few yards behind her. Her body was cold butter to my warm knife, bones and sinew had no slowdown to me as I stood normally behind her. My body cooled down, and I popped my neck. "If you fall, you will not die. Continue to try and stand, I will kill you." I declared mercilessly.

"Get him!" a man's voice shouted as three axe fighters rushed at me.

"What, would you like some too?" I taunted.

"Nope, can't have that now." Kirin's voice added in as he landed in front of me.

Casting his hands forth, he summoned an electric blue lightning bolt down upon the middle fighter. The levin electric stream was so grand and so powerful that it scorched the poor man so badly that it just peeled his skin and flesh off. Leaping backwards to avoid it, the other two partners of the victim were awestruck by the power Kirin's spell exuded. "No interfering with the boss." Kirin finished, his back shaded from the volumetric contrast coming from the thunderbolt.

"I stand by your guidelines." I reminded him.

"You should know she's getting up."

I quickly turned around and crouched, just enough to avoid a horizontal swipe of the blade. Driving my fist into her gut, I used my legs and my arms to lift her up from the central point of her stomach before slamming her down upon the ground. "Do not try to kill me with my own weapon, wench." I growled.

Coughing up blood that sputtered from the breathing holes of her mask, she reached for the sword that she dropped, a few feet from her. "Even if you had it, it wouldn't help you." I lectured.

"I hate you…" she growled and gurgled.

"You should." I retorted, bringing my weapon up for a finishing slice. "You also shouldn't have been on the other side."

Hearing the shuffle of stone upon shoe, I quickly turned one hundred degrees and unfurled a powerful underhanded angle slash upon a youth with the masque on his eyes, and his navy hair done up to look like Marth. Cutting across his torso, he let out a loud groan of agony before stumbling backwards. "You're Chrom's prey, do not interfere." I barked.

"I cannot allow you to kill her after she saved your life." he argued, grunting and holding his wound.

"I told her to surrender and she came back. She could have slithered away and I wouldn't chase her. Now I simply have to."

He looked at Celica now, frowning. "Pull back. Now. Have a healer tend to your wounds."

She slowly staggered to stand. "I refuse to surrender… Marth." she sputtered.

"Celica, he can and will kill you." Marth warned. "Go. Now."

Begrudgingly, she ran into the halls of the arena interior. Indifferently, I refused to chase her. "Heal yourself. The prince will deal with you for me." I told Marth before walking away.

"Your forces are sweeping mine down, and I have a fresh opponent in front of me. Don't shoo me away." Marth demanded.

"I will cut your head off if you try to do what I think you're doing." I warned him. "Though I have a code, I am not afraid of murder."

He grunted, and judging from the sounds of shoes and the ground behind me, I came to the conclusion that he went after his opponent. It was a wiser decision than naught, for Chrom was merciful; I lacked his compassion. "Gotcha!" I heard behind me.

Flipping the sword to backhand, I took my blade in two hands and stabbed behind me, puncturing the guts of what felt as though to be an armored knight. "No, not really." I lectured as I took out the blade and walked into the fray.

"Ladon." Susannah's voice called to me.

Turning around, I saw her walk up to me, holding her iron sword single handedly, the blade tainted with blood. "You are uninjured?" I asked her monotonously.

"Yes, I'm fine."

Scanning the battlefield, I took note of what I saw. Jonathan and Virion punctured their foes with the arrows and spearheads of righteous justice while Sarah and Miriel employed a slash and burn stratagem to effectively take down a group of men. Salvation and Falchion united against Marth, who held up surprisingly well for someone on the lesser end of a sword and a rare spell. The halls were not barred off from the battlefield, making me frown. "He's going to call more of the enemy to fall upon Hikari and Chrom."

"How do you know?" Susannah asked me.

"You're a smart woman, Susannah. You know they'd do something of that caliber with such unbarred gates." I chided.

She widened her eyes. "We have to warn them!"

"I'm not warning anyone." I grumbled.

"Then what was the point of that analysis?!" she shouted incredulously.

I rolled my eyes and then glared at her. "We're going to tear the enemy apart, tactician."

"Just the two of us? There are sixteen openings, we won't make it well without going down with Chrom and your sister!"

"Which is why Kirin will take half of them."

"Well did you **tell him**?"

I sighed and blinked hard. "He's ambitious for the job. He'll step up."

"Ladon, you just **met** him!" she complained. "You're being too cruel on him, you fail to understand that these circumstances are **not** the time for this cold hearted logistical cruelty."

I scowled at her in irritation. "If not for my wit and your obviously inconsistent aptitude, as well as our combined strength, we would have died at night in the middle of the woods with the undead calling us up to drool and lumber as we join their horde." I reminded her.

She was silent, a deafening quiet overtook her. "I lack the magical, miraculous, transmundane ability to literally cast my hand upon people with a rod of some sort and just **make** Kirin, or Sarah, or Hikari, or Jonathan stronger. I honestly do, I've never even **used** a tome of any kind. I have literally no way to just make things happen. **We** do it for **ourselves**. No one can just do our work in place of us.

"Jonathan looked for me. Sarah tried scaling a wall. Kirin popped up out of nowhere. Hikari is my sister, and you are an annoying tactician who can't seem to accept the fact that Chrom's men, Chrom's unpaid Ylissean men, are under your control; while my sister and I, and the little surprises that I find scattered all over the fucking continent, are **not**. I am preposterously sorry to say that in the end, I'm not really going to abide by your logic. You are not a god, you are a woman with a bad temper, a fire tome and an iron run of the mill sword.

"Now please, for the love of Naga, would you take that sword, shut the hell up and just let me go about my strategy to save **your** goody two shoes prince and the only person on this continent that I care about?" I finished lecturing her.

She blinked at me in frightful astonishment, and I knew that from the look on her face, I **finally** got a message through to her. "Kirin! Enemy reinforcements will come as long as the blue haired child with a mask is up! You know what to do!" I called to him, loudly.

"On it, boss!"

"Tell Chrom you're under my employ when you finish the leader!"

"You got it!"

I sighed and sheathed Ikralis. "Sarah, Jonathan, finish it up! The battle's coming to a close!" I called out, before looking at Susannah seriously. "Follow me or not. Your choice."

She sighed and nodded. "You can be a real ass."

"I know."

She and I immediately ran to where Marth was. I knew it would either be the coalition between Chrom and Hikari, or Kirin's thunder to fell him. But still, there was a purpose to running to my employer and Susannah's friend. I have to earn my keep and their trust **somehow**.

XXXXXXXXX

**Susannah POV**

Ladon was always serious when speaking on the important matters. Rarely have I ever seen him smile or laugh, or do anything other than fight and recruit people, or simply scowl. He was an enigma to me and it's not something I say positively. Running alongside him, I had a newfound understanding of what it meant for him to fight. He **knew** that all of what happened in the woods, or on the Longfort wall, all of it was, by technicality, unfair. But he simply fed off of it, fighting under such strenuous odds made him stronger. It's morbid, it's twisted and it's just punishing. But at the same time… it made **sense**.

Like any muscle, it only would grow stronger when rested, nurtured, and constantly tested to its limit. I refer to our strength, and he knew that fact rather literally. As he and I ran, he didn't look at me once and his eyes never met mine. He simply kept on his focus, his forward that seemed to have a stronger hold on him that that which anchored man to the ground on this earth. It was truly awe inspiring, to be completely honest, it was like a stoicism for the lesser than noble; worth the experience of teaming up with if anyone asks me.

"We're going to have company." he told me, without looking in my direction.

Coming to a halt, he drew out Ikralis from his hip and the two of us saw a group of three axe fighters. "I see them." I affirmed while brandishing my blade.

"There is a thief behind you. I'll handle these men." he warned me as I took his word for it and pencil turned rapidly, swiping my sword horizontally with all of my force in a double handed swing.

My edge met flesh, and the man lay gurgling with his last drops of vigor at my feet when I turned around to see if Ladon fared well. What I saw answered the question as I watched him cast Ikralis the black blade masterfully upon one of the fighters, viewing as the weapon fly in a straight line and midpoint deep into the foe's very heart. Taking to the air as well, my companion pressed his feet in a powerful rush kick domination upon him, tearing Ikralis out of the now slashed heart of his first enemy. Breathlessly I watched as he leapt panther like from his first victim and somersaulted to extend his weapon like a razor spine and slice the helm of his next opponent. My heart raced when I beheld the acrobatic and remarkably strong myrmidon curve in motion like dancing on ice soundlessly and shanked the intestines of the final fighter. The ground was covered in blood just like his boots were and it didn't seem to shock him as he swung the blood off of his weapon cleanly. Stepping away from the mess, his gaze moved to my face for the first time since the skirmish started. "You are well?" he asked plainly.

I nodded vigorously. "Y-yes! Yes! I am very… well!"

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his eyes shut. "Susannah, did you honestly not know I was as skilled as I say?" he grumbled.

My eyes didn't meet with his, seeing his brutality upon just those three men had me semi-starstruck. He wasn't wrong, it was simply a matter that I was in such a powerful disbelief that he was as strong as he is. I've seen him tear down zombies after the quake, I've watched him lead with his cavalier friend on the northroad to tear through waves of them. So why was he scaring me? Looking up at him, I shook my head in certainty. "I thought you were just trying to sound inspirational and far fetched for Jonathan and Sarah."

"Well you're wrong." he told me plainly. "I'm not a liar, Susannah. I could **try**, but you're supremely smarter than what it would take to see right through me."

_I hate how you make me feel better by saying stupid things that don't pertain to my situations. _"Come on, we gotta…" I hinted.

"Lead the way, master tactician."

_Did you just compliment me?_ Without verbally replying, I made the gesture of telling him to follow me as I ran to Chrom. I knew his running speed was faster than mine, so I had to simply factor in an improvisation when he was following behind me, and not running past me to simply leave me to my own abilities and vices. He was being… different? What **was **it? What **made **him do it? I had the entirety of no clue whatsoever, I just knew that in the end, he was changing in my opinion. "Got ya!" a male's voice shouted from an approaching mercenary.

The Mercenary swordsmen were, in all seriousness, the brute versions of the myrmidon to me. They had broader swords and less skill, in place of a simpler learned style and harder strikes. They lacked speed and skill for strength and durability, thus making them have to build up speed to be effective. Most, however, didn't. Taking out my iron sword, my double handed grip allowed me to swing and slice him with more power, making him stagger back before Ladon descended from the air out of practically nowhere and skewered the downed mercenary like a fish. "Thanks."

"No problem." he responded as we continued our trek to Chrom.

"I have you now." a mage to my left declared as two prepared to cast wind and thunder upon me.

With my sword, I wouldn't be able to counter the magic with my own, and I barely had enough time to take out my own spellbook. Green wind and lemon lightning began to appear from the spellbooks into their hands, that was to cast upon me. "But what of us, I wonder?" Miriel's voice asked them as a fireball rushed past my head and into one of the mages.

The spell took him down, while I felt myself weighed down while armored feet climbed onto my back and shoulders. "Sorry loud lady." Sarah apologized as the leapt off of me and fell upon the other mage, skewering him and crushing him.

"What the hell, Sarah?!" I shouted in uppity. "You could have killed me!"

Without even acknowledging me, she ran forward with Miriel, with her strange sword Godendag in hand. "Come on, we'd better move ahead." Ladon told me. "I'll rush ahead. You should call in a reserve and have them team up with you."

"Hey! Boss!" Kirin's voice shouted as he rushed over to us. "You need a hand?"

"You know your guidelines." he told Kirin plainly.

"That doesn't mean I can't help you mow down enemy reinforcements." he debated with the myrmidon adamantly.

Slowly, I witnessed something entirely new from Ladon. He smirked eagerly, turning to Kirin and beckoning him with a gesture. "Good man. Welcome to the crew, thunder's thunder."

The two of them ran off together, and I swapped out my iron sword for my on hand thunder tome. "I guess I had better find someone to partner up with in the meantime." I grumbled as I ran into the fray with them.

"Don't go without me!" Sully's voice called out as her mare clopped its hooves onto the ground when walking to me, as its rider smirked with a bloodied iron lance. "I'll be happy to give you a lift."

Smiling and taking her hand, I mounted her horse, taking the back position on the saddle. "I'll provide thunder, you be our skewer."

"You got it." she affirmed as we rode in on horseback.

We found quickly that we were only needed **so** much, but also very little. As Ladon sliced into an enemy, Kirin mounted him like a hill and weighed him down to fall just that right amount to lose his footing before the mage leapt off of him. Only whilst in mid-air did I notice that he held a tattered orange-yellow tome, and once he was already landing on another man like a platform, I witnessed as a lightning bolt came down and struck the first man. Backflipping away and using the second enemy as a spring, Kirin landed next to Ladon as he opened his tome and cast his hand forth. Seconds later, a titanic blue thunderbolt crashed upon the poor soul and I even beheld as the ionic power literally peeled and cooked away his flesh to the point of being barely any meat on bones. Before I could observe the smoking, smoldering body, I turned my head to see an ovalular portal of black and violet smoke open up behind Sarah, who clasped and wielded a purple tome while a large black arm reached up to a towering height before smashing down upon an enemy. _Holy crap! That's Sarah's spell?!_

"Well, never expected **that**." Ladon commented as Kirin's thunderbolt struck another mercenary, lighting up the arena. "Your spell is rather powerful, just like Kirin's thunder spell or Hikari's Salvation."

"My spell isn't thunder." Kirin told him as Sully punctured a man in the chest as I rained down thunder upon another who approached us.

"Help them out."

As he gave his order, an ebony fist slammed upon a cluster of enemies with a mighty and malefic power while a grand thunderbolt fried an armored knight. My golden ball of bolts struck each man down by the casting before Sully gashed and murdered them. Ladon simply stood there and watched. It took us maybe five minutes of adrenaline pumping combat and a wild display of magic to decimate the sudden crowd control of enemies that fell upon us strategically. "Kirin, it **is** thunder."

Turning around, Kirin replied. "No, my spell is called Gedo. It's thunder in **nature**, but it's different from thunder."

"There are different levels for tomes." Miriel told him, stepping closer and adjusting her bifocals. "In Kirin's case, there is Thunder, Elthunder, Arcthunder and Thoron. Kirin's spell, Gedo, is a different spell from the branch. Similar to your little sister's Salvation. Or…" she explained while hinting to Sarah.

"Jahannam." Sarah told her. "My spell's name is Jahannam."

"Never took you for a poetic type, especially with a rather archaic word for hell." Ladon commented. "But we should get moving, we'd better help Chrom secure victory against Marth."

Kirin and Ladon sprinted first, and Sarah departed from Miriel to join in the race. Sully turned her head to cock her ear for my say so on this matter. I was still fairly unhappy on the whole topic. All of Ladon's little "crew" were working specifically for him, not for pay and yet he still has them paid. They were better equipped and they seemed to get along to just the same degree as I did with Chrom's men. They all had better equipment, save for Jonathan. Kirin's Gedo and Sarah's Jahannam were much more potent than my Thunder or Fire, Salvation was a spell I had never even heard of- and yet I'm the least notable for information upon weapons-, and Ikralis and Godendag were unbreakable. This was getting irksome and upsetting, and it made me fear that they were going to turncoat and mutinize. "We march to Chrom." I told her.

"I hope we'll see some decent action, it'll kill me to leave me out of the fun." Sully affirmed as we rode to him, having the advantage of movement via her horse.

I wanted to trust Ladon, but I simply couldn't. The worst part was the fact that he trusted me. He trusted me with the life of Hikari, in exchange for not trusting the lives or equipment of himself and his men to me. I shouldn't be so hostile, yet I must be. What if Ladon betrays us? What if they leave and take our assets with them? There are just too many factors, I have to maintain my watch on him. I don't hate him, at least I hope not.

XXXXXXXXX

**Ladon POV**

Something told me that Susannah wasn't going to trust me. There wasn't so much of a reason for her **not** to, seeing as my crew of misfits had either unbreakable weapons or obscure and treasurable tomes. Kirin's Gedo could easily vaporize people and Sarah's Jahannam was a literal demonic limb summoning that could crush or consume people. Jonathan didn't seem to have any treasure on him, other than his strange mannerisms and his skill with the lance, which was enough to be versatile with. Hikari and I had Ikralis and Salvation, which spoke enough on our skill with our respective weapons. And of course there was the versatility with Sarah, and her weapon called Godendag, the ebony dragonfire forged weapon. She never told me that it was dragon forged, but any weapon that is stolen from a dragon either has been or was going to be bathed into the fire.

"Take Marth down! Now!" I shouted as my forces neared them. "Before he can call his reinforcements!"

Chrom sustained a few cuts and bruises, and he stood functionally, yet wobbly. If we didn't act soon, the pillar of protection for my sister was going to fall. It turned out that Chrom heard me, because he turned his head a bit, smiling as he kept his gaze on Marth. "Hikari, now." he told her, brandishing Falchion.

"Hai!" my little sister confirmed as she charged up her salvation light in an orb form in her palm.

Rushing forward and unleashing an underhanded slice, Chrom knocked a battered Marth back a few paces before Hikari ran in and pressed the ball upon him. The orb was absorbed and photosynthesized into Marth's body before a burst of light and a scream of sharp pain ensued from her attack. Falling down on his back, Marth laid unconscious as we all grouped up where Chrom stood. Looking to me, Chrom strode over tiredly, sheathing Falchion and smiling. He had taken so much damage and fought so hard, just to maintain an equilibrium of fighting against Marth and protecting my sister. "Why are you looking at me like that, Ladon." he asked me.

He was panting and breathing heavily as he spoke. I held out my fist to him, and after a few seconds of hanging there, he bumped his to mine. "I must insist you have Lissa heal you. You've done good." I complimented him.

"Same to you."

"I'll carry you."

He smiled at me and patted my shoulder. "You've done enough." he told me. "I'll see to it that you're paid."

"This is about the wellbeing of my employer, not gold."

"You're fine."

Susannah rushed in and I saw Chrom tumble as she caught him. "Chrom." she beseeched.

"I'm fine. Just need Lissa to patch me up."

"Susannah, carry him to Lissa. Judging from his wounds, he won't die on your watch." I told her as she simply walked off with him.

Jonathan's mare walked up to me, while he looked down at me and held his iron lance, bloodied and worn from heavy usage. "So, we're getting paid right?" he asked.

"All except for one."

"Whom?" he asked in confusion.

Using my thumb to point at Kirin, I answered him. "Meet the new addition. His name is Kirin."

Waving, the purple haired mage smiled calmly, yet friendly. "You have some fine hair, good sir."

"He gives the impression that he's delusional." I commented plainly as I noticed that Jonathan's eyes began to twinkle crazily.

"You have good hair too! We should be friends!"

Upon closer inspection, I noticed a fair amount of similarities and differences between Jonathan and Kirin. Kirin's purple sky hair was down to his shoulders in smooth waves and locks while Jonathan's was down to the upper back and shoulder blades in a golden waterfall. Kirin was calmer and not as loud as Jonathan was when in a flustering or excitable stimulus. The mage had his tome called Gedo, while Jonathan usually fought with whatever he could get his hands on, mainly a sword and a lance. Kirin's eyes were a dark shade of gold, very dark, almost like a natural shade of brown until hit by light while Jonathan's eyes were blue like a sea. Jonathan's voice and Kirin's were only so far apart in terms of depth and tone.

Closing his eyes and chuckling with that charismatic smile, he extended his hand. "Kirin."

"Jonathan."

They shook hands frivolously, and I smirked at how well this mage was getting along with everyone. All except for Sarah, I haven't seen them speak or introduce themselves. "Hey. Ladon." I heard that woman's voice call out to me from behind.

Immediately, lance, Gedo and Jahannam were readied to fly down upon her. "You stay right there." Sarah warned.

Turning around to her, I saw that my suspicion was right. Celica came back, in all of her audacity, with her parallel Ikralis and everything. Sneering, I crossed my arms. "Before Kirin and Sarah decimate you, and we put your head on Jonathan's lance, explain to me why you came here." I ordered her.

"The fight for East versus West Khans is done now. I mean you no harm." Celica claimed.

"That's fantastic, now say what you need to say."

"You need to be more amicable with the people who fight alongside with." she told me. "The tactician, the cavalier, the battle mage and the storm magician, you have to understand that they are more than just pieces on a battlefield. They're-"

"I'm not going to be lectured by you. I can get along just fine with my own crew." I interrupted.

"You'd just better learn to play nice. Or who knows what you'll screw up?" Celica warned me, mockingly.

"Leave before I have you decimated." I commanded.

With that, she left. Frowning, I popped my neck. "Alright, gather around. We have something to discuss."

Sarah, Kirin and Jonathan stood in a formation around me, as our conversation would begin and I took a breath to lower my heart rate and systematically calm down. "I am not having your attention focused so I may fire you. If you wish to fight with me, you are more than welcome. And as Jonathan must have seen with the arrival of Sarah and Kirin, I seem to attract people or just stumble upon them."

"Most fun I've had." Sarah commented with a smirk.

"You're famous." Kirin inserted.

Turning my gaze to him, I craned my neck. "I'm famous?"

"Well, you protected Cape Town from a group of bandits and you were told to have decimated a band of ruffians in Southtown. So, I thought along my travels that you'd make a decent boss." he explained.

Nodding in understanding, I began to use my hands and body language more, the conversation more active. "You still understand that I don't pay."

"I told him." Jonathan informed me.

"He said Chrom pays us." Kirin recited in his own wording.

"Yes. The Ylissean prince pays us for our performance. That's why I warn you that if you don't play your part in our success, you will not be paid." I warned him. "We are too well armed to be messing up."

"I understand." Kirin affirmed, holding up a hand to show that he found my warning too abrasive.

"Chrom calls his men the Shepherds, a title that even Susannah falls under. The idea is trivial, but we should adopt a name." I suggested.

"The Cavalry." Jonathan suggested.

"Hesperides. From the same poems and epics as your name." Sarah added.

"The Swordbearers. Because you wield a sword." Kirin tossed into the proverbial hat.

"What? All of those names hardly apply. We're mostly men with one woman and my little sister, we can't be hesperides. We have to also refer to those who don't wield swords. And although you generally see Dark Knights with horses, Sarah..." I referred to her specifically, earning a smirk and a squint of her red eyes. "... only one of us rides a horse. We have to be more creative."

"What would you suggest, Ladon?" the cavalier asked.

"The Titans." I suggested, looking at Sarah. "You're well educated, I should think you to see some significance in the word."

"Wait, I've got it." Kirin interrupted as he clapped his hands together, drawing all of our undivided attention as he gave a coolly confident smile. "The Onmyoji."

Silence overtook us as we pondered upon it, each of us in our different bodily mechanics and postures. "It's Chonsin." I said. "The Onmyoji are humans with the powers of monstrous nature or proportion."

"Sounds delightful." Sarah affirmed with a raised hand. "I like it."

"I like it too. Suits us pretty well." Jonathan raised his hand to it and added.

"Well, I'm the one who suggested it." Kirin bragged, saying without plain wording that he voted for his own term.

"I agree, 'tis a better word than 'mercenary' or 'misfit'. Starting now, we are the Onmyoji." I declared as I put my hand forth.

Sarah planted her hand onto mine. Jonathan followed, and Kirin thereafter. "We're our own band, but we work for Chrom's cause for now. Our first job, make sure the continent is safe."

We broke the web of hands and bumped our fists together before all walking to the exit of the arena. Striding with a cavalier, a beastless dark knight and a thunder mage, I was soon joined by my energetic little sister. "Where are we going, Oniichan?" she asked.

"We're joining up with Chrom and taking our rest in the halls of Manor Ferox." I told her.

"Sir Ladon."

The Onmyoji all stopped as we saw a soldier with a lance and the standard issue gear and helmet walk up to me. Sternly looking at me, he cleared his throat before speaking. "Khan Flava would like a word." he said.

Nodding to the guard, I gestured to my crewmates. "Join up with Chrom. I'll see you four later." I told them casually before departing from them.

Following him through the halls of Manor Ferox, I felt and heard my heart pound in my chest vigorously. There were many reasons for this, it was just a post victory excitement and relief and Khans are all about battle, just as the Feroxi all are. So I expected Flavia's equivalent to an award or reward of some sort, as we made our way through some familiar bends and turns. Our destination was a large room with a copious amount of cushions, beverages, incense and the indirect lighting of torches mixing with the drawing dusk. The fabrics of all reds and blacks and umber signified Ferox and Flavia very clearly, the tapestries of the emblem of Ferox happened to send the same message, this room would have… use. "She instructed me that you will wait here until her arrival." the grunt stated.

"That's fine."

With my answer, he left. Sitting on a cushion heavy seat, my eyelids fell heavily and I descended into slumber. My body ached from the fighting and my mind faded into the opportunity of rest as darkness overtook everything. Obscurity dulled my senses as I was plunged into the release of sleep. "Ladon." a young woman's voice called to me.

Creation itself took place as blue blazing sky, a radiant sun, a firm earth with green living grass under my feet and even a subtle environmental gust came to be. Standing in front of me was a chestnut haired woman, mature features and curves, wearing a set of armor and a shield on her left arm that befitted her fighting style. In her right hand was a blade with only a frame like edge and blue metallic netting within that frame, to keep it steady and yet give it a certain benefit. She stood up taller than I, by a few inches but taller nonetheless. Smiling, she used her free hand to amplify her voice. "Laaaaaaaaaaaadon." she called, giggling. "Are you just going to stand there?"

I frowned and crossed my arms. "Of call people, why are you in my dream?"

She frowned, a convincing and saddening expression as she tilted her head and looked at me with those hazel eyes. "That hurts, Ladon. I thought you would **prefer** me."

Widening my eyes and catching what I had just said, I then felt the sting of my own words as I sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Besides, I was just trying to have a conversation with you. Kind of like those prophecies from the stories we read." she justified.

"The ones Father despises." I clarified. "And what do you mean? What prophecy?"

"That band of mercenaries you run, the 'Onmyoji'..." she began before looking at me seriously and sharply. "Do you intend to take them home with you?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because when you do, they won't be fighting on this little adventure you're on. We face other 'monsters' and even have some with us."

"Don't you fret. We'll be fine." I told her.

Suddenly, the whistle and whish of a sword swing filled my ears as I took up one hand with Ikralis and stopped the blade from reaching my forehead. "Wake up, Ladon."

The dream vanished like smoke as my eyes shot open and I sat up rapidly, drawing Ikralis. "Who goes there?!" I shouted before scanning the environment.

The sun has fully set and the moon gazed over us from the overlook opening, the torches and incense were all still very much lit, and I found that Flavia stood before me. She wore her black skin tight under armor fabric and naught else, her hair was down with those fiery white hot blonde locks running down her back. Seeing her, I put Ikralis away. "How long was I here?"

"I'd say four hours." Flavia answered.

I was silent as I stood up, stripping myself of my jacket and clothes and boots, even my headband. I only wore a set of black cloth smallclothes covering my crotch, which earned a smile from the Khan. "My my, what a sight." she complimented.

"Come here." I commanded.

She did so, not as begrudgingly as the first time today. "Be careful of who you command, boy." she warned with a smirk as she held my cheek.

"You're too much fun." I japed, smiling.

She chuckled before kissing my lips. "Oh am I now?"

My hands seemed to move on their own as I felt her buttocks, firm and ample. She evidently noticed, as she rolled her eyes and smiled. "Oh, right."

"They are a rather powerful asset of yours." I complimented. "But instead of playing around…" I suggested.

She began to flush now. "You were never one for beating around the bush."

"Never liked it."

"It's what I always liked about you. I always trust you to not fool around if you're needed."

"It goes without saying, Flavia."

Pressing my lips to hers, our breathing began to hasten and intensify as my tongue inserted into her mouth, which was opening wider in welcoming embrace. She held to me tighter, pressing herself to me as our bodies ground against one another in heated passion. My manhood began to erect as it pressed against and prodded into her moist womanhood through the fabric. Moaning into my mouth, her grinding intensified with a hunger only satisfied by one thing. The itch that had only one balm. Pulling away just enough to purr in her ear, I growled. "I starve."

"I'm all yours." she purred into mine.

All throughout the night, I very fervently and thoroughly devoured her. She did not push me away or turn away from all that I unleashed upon her. Eating her hairless spot between her very fine legs was only another aphrodisiac. The musk of absolute lust only fed into my own as her juices leaked and streamed into my mouth with every orgasm. She even pressed me into her soft spot to keep me anchored to my activity. Moaning loudly and growling, giggling and even laughing in appreciation, I knew very well that she enjoyed how I devoured her. "Oh yes! Oh Ladon! Oh gods!"

My tongue thrusted and swirled into her secret flesh hungrily as she spoke, shouting the words all men wanted to hear. She came again into my mouth, another indication of her appreciation as I drank once more, lapping my lips for every single drop. Pulling away and moving up to her, my skin touched her sweaty covering. She bit her lip, no smile to admonish me this time. Her body shuddered and quivered as she opened her arms to grab onto me. I picked her up so that she could hold onto me as I plunged my member into her. She gasped and cried out as I gave her a love bite on her neck and thrusted into her immediately.

Pumping myself into her was an experience I would not speak of lightly. I speak of my defiling her to no one, but I did so plenty as her breasts rocked with her body up and down. Her moans were in perfect succession to my thrusts. Her cheeks were still flushed and her cries were of a woman who has attained true pleasure. My sword of manhood throbbed and twitched inside of her. "It comes, Flavia." I warned her.

"Unleash it all!" she screamed demandingly.

And so I did, my muscles tightening and constricting when I fell to the cushions and laid next to her. Running her fingers through my hair, Flavia smiled and kissed me. "Still got it." she complimented.

I smirked and snuggled with her, having her be the one who moved to me when I pulled her. "I'd say so."

She rubbed my chest with her hand, her leg over mine. "You're too much fun." she complimented. "So you're leaving tomorrow."

"I am. For now, my crew and I work for Chrom."

She kissed his cheek. "Well, if you need any help, just let me know."

"We both know I won't."

"I know. But you're reliable, so it should be mutual." she justified.

"It's nice of you to think so." I thanked her. "Now I'd like to close my eyes and sleep until dawn."

She cocked a brow. "What happens at dawn?"

"I train with my partners. Then we leave with Chrom."

She smiled at me. "So, what, it's you four against the world?"

"Five. And no, just against whoever's on the other side."

She sighed. "I adore you."

I held her. "I know."

And thus, we slept. The moon crept over the rooftop of our world and the obscurity that it illuminated, all the way until it blew us its forlorn final kiss unto the horizon and allowed the bitter final darkness to ensue before Dawn's elegant fingers crept upon us. The sun rose, and as she did, I did as well. Redressing myself, I pecked Flavia with a kiss on the forehead before walking out of the plush and comfortable chambers we shared. "Out of bed so early?" Kirin asked me, as I turned my head to find a purple headed thunder mage grinning with his arms crossed.

Smirking, I popped my neck by craning it. "Shut up and rouse the others."

XXXXXXXXX

**Susannah POV**

_Ugh...wuzzit… what's going on? What's with all of that noise?_ I sat up as I heard a shout and thunder crashed violently. "Hoo! Holy crap!"

_Wh-what the fuck?_ "Hey, keep it down! You'll wake people up!"

"Sorry!"

Squinting and grumbling, I began to dress into my clothes and my coat and boots. _Are they really being this loud at this hour? I'm __**trying**_ _to get my sleep here. They could at least be courteous and do this in another country for the love of_―! "I don't care about your 'sorry', the Ylisseans are **sleeping**."

Drawing my sword, I frowned. "At least we **were**."

Before I could even raise the blade to conk Ladon on the head with the butt, I felt the edge of a blade touch the artery of my neck. "One move and you lose your head."

"Now hold on, Sarah." he told her swiftly as he turned around, looking at me. "Why did you come with a sword?"

"To bonk you on the head. It's dawn and you're making a lot of noise."

He frowned as Kirin walked over to us, hearing my statement as he and Ladon turned to Jonathan. Even Sarah joined in on the bandwagon. "Dammit Jonathan." Ladon griped.

"What did **I** do?" he asked the four of us.

"You woke up the mean lady." Sarah tantalized him.

"Blame Kirin for that!"

"You're the one who was screaming." Kirin argued.

"You had the gigantic blue **thunderbolt**!"

"You screamed. You have the big lance, I don't scream."

Jonathan suddenly began to shimmer and glisten as his eyes looked prepared to water, a fist held next to his chest. "I thought we were friends!" he mused, comedically and yet melodramatically.

"We are. But you still woke her up."

I scowled in irritation at Ladon, my gaze boring into his head. The myrmidon looked over to me, frowning monotonously and rose a hand to Sarah. "She's no harm. Let her go."

Removing her black blade from my neck, Sarah stepped away. Rubbing my neck, I sheathed my sword and stepped to Ladon. "Can I have a word with you?" I asked him.

"Yes." he answered as he turned to his friends. "Jonathan, keep training with them. And be **quieter**."

The blonde grumbled as the two of us began to walk along the courtyard of Arena Ferox. "So what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked simply.

"Ladon, how many more men do you plan to assemble?"

Raising a brow as we continued to walk and talk, I could tell he took it to an edge of strangeness. "I fail to see the nature of that question." he stated.

My gaze on him hardened a little bit. "First it was Jonathan. Then it was Sarah, while at the same time you and Hikari were hiding those weapons of yours. Then Kirin decides to pop up out of nowhere and he's working for you for free." I listed carefully and yet brazenly. "Is there some other fanatic out there who's going to join in your subgroup so you can mutinize?"

"Why would I mutinize?" he countered my questions. "I get paid, I get exercise, my sister doesn't get hurt. I don't really have an ulterior motive."

"I am a lot of things but stupid is not one of them, Ladon." I spat as my glare began to heat up on him, and we stopped walking. "Save for Jonathan, you have the arms' advantage over us and you could easily sweep us away, I've seen you in combat and I've caught my fair share of a view upon just how powerful you people are."

"Susannah, you're being irrational. You're my employers and as such I have a professional obligation to refrain from mutinying against a rather belligerent woman, a blue haired swordsman, a couple cavaliers with a Great Knight, an armored knight and a mage." he responded.

"Then why have a separate group of people who work under you?"

"So the Onmyoji aren't in the same category as your friend's Shepherds. It doesn't matter, we still work for you for the time being. On top of that, the only woman I trust with my sister is trying to accuse me of mutiny when we haven't so much as lifted a finger to attack you."

I looked down at my feet and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I just need to know you won't hurt any of us. I need that security, I can't remember anything before the day I met you and Chrom and I'm just afraid to be drifting along the world with a recurring loss of memory."

He was silent as he took me in his arm and held me to him firmly. "I don't hold a grudge." he told me. "Just try to be nicer, okay?" he spoke into my ear tenderly.

"I don't dislike you. Your sister is pretty cute."

He chuckled a bit. "She calls you Oneesan for a reason. The positivity is mutual."

"What about us?" I asked him, referring to him and I.

"Maybe you should get along better with the Onmyoji a bit better. You sure make my days more riveting." he laughed minimally as he answered. "Heck, strike up a conversation with Jonathan or maybe ask Kirin about his stuff. If you ask me, Gedo is one epic-"

"So you don't hate me?" I asked, cutting him off.

"I'm hugging you outside of an arena and I'm telling you to get along better with my crew. I think you're okay here."

I smiled as I separated from him. "So maybe we could fight together more often?" I offered.

"Why wait? No one else is around." he answered as he unsheathed Ikralis.

Drawing my sword quickly, I formed a stance as best as I could. "Remember, the key is to be able to react to everything."

"Got it." I affirmed.

XXXXXXXXX

**Ladon POV**

"Then Regna Ferox will support Ylisse? Thank you Chrom, I knew sending you was the right choice."

Exalt Emmeryn was a blonde woman with a calming, almost soothing air about her. She wore fine green, cream yellow and gold robes and a golden crown that showed up from behind her curly and well pampered soft blonde hair. As if the air of royalty wasn't strong enough around her, she also had a birthmark of the Ylissean Exalt's Brand on her forehead, whereas Chrom had it on his shoulder. She was smiling as she stood and praised Chrom, as we stood in the throne room of Ylisstol's court, with the fine decor and the amount of well founded security. I could tell from one glance that we were in the right place to call a governing center of a nation. Frederick stood stoically next to Chrom with his hands behind his back, looking to be like a statue with how sturdy his focus was. Susannah and I stood together, and I had my arms crossed as I silently listened on the situation in front of me carefully, where she simply listened casually and professionally.

She turned to Susannah and I quickly, and from the direction of her eyes, I could tell that her smile only began to melt into a neutral expression when looking at me. "You must be the myrmidon Chrom was telling me about." she greeted me with.

"That's me." I replied plainly.

"You should **see** him, Emm, he's something on an entirely different caliber." Chrom praised.

"It's my job after all."

I could see her eyes studying me, without squinting or making it obvious of what was going on in her mind. "You're a professional, I see."

"Enough of one, my lady."

"Does the grass grow in the land of iron, now?" Emmeryn asked.

"Emm, what does thatㅡ?" Chrom asked.

"Not for much longer. The dragon makes his way to the first cow, sick and mad, decaying in the Fell Dragon's teeth." I answered her, knowing very well what she meant and how to respond accordingly.

"And what of the sheep?"

"They would require a Bellwether in time, for monsters lurk in the red grass."

"Can someone please tell meㅡ?" Chrom began to ask before being promptly interrupted.

A woman with sky blue hair and silver armor, befitting a pegasus knight, burst into the room, frantic as high hell. I knew from the heavy breathing, lack of room for manners and the sweat on her forehead that something wicked was afoot. "Your Grace! M-milord!" she stuttered shakily. "Forgive me, but I bring alarming news!"

"Phila! Slow down, please! What's happened?" Emmeryn urged, trying to grant the wits that she maintains unto her pegasus captain of the guard.

"Someone's been taken." I said plainly as I gained everyone's attention. "It looks like she was attacked."

Phila looked at me, shaking her head. "Not I, no. A village in Themis. They kidnapped the Duke's daughter."

"B-but that would be… Maribelle!" Lissa exclaimed in distress. "Chrom, we have to do something!"

"I assume by 'they', you mean Plegia."

She nodded, panting heavily. "There's more: King Gangrel of Plegia claims Lady Maribelle invaded **his** country. He demands we pay reparations for this 'insult'."

"And we're to believe a dastard like the Mad King of Plegia?" Chrom asked in disbelieving anger.

"Proper word choice." I commented bluntly. "My Onmyoji can make his 'payment' before the moon hits rooftop tonight."

"Let me join you, we'll meet this 'insult' with 'reparations' of steel." he told me.

"Chrom, Ladon, please." Emmeryn urged calmly. "We must keep our wits about us."

"Chrom is the only angry one here, your grace." I replied to her plainly before looking at Chrom. "And as for your offer, I must decline. Shepherds are not meant for hunting like I do."

"What about me?" Susannah asked as I turned to look at her.

"I'd much sooner destroy a stained glass window than to have your life endangered by my endeavor." I answered her.

"Ladon, you cannot deny me this. Not only do I **pay** you but I also have a country to protect, a country that has been **instigated time and again**." Chrom stated sharply with a hand on my shoulder.

"Would you kill the sheep you protect from the lions and wolves by making them fight something they shouldn't be involved with?" I asked. "You're the prince. You do something stupid and you screw your subjects. Including Lissa's annoying friend, including your men, including **Susannah**. If you want me to be even **meaner**, by all means hold onto my shoulder a little longer and I'll tell you how this affects your sisters." I lectured with a sharp glare.

He slowly withdrew his hand. "Why would you go after Gangrel then?"

"I am a mercenary. The Onmyoji only represent your country with you in tow. If you're not **there**, your country can't be hurt."

"You're not doing any such thing." Emmeryn ordered. "I can not permit it, the risk is too great."

"Then what would you suggest?" I demanded, turning around. "Monsters commanding death, iron and lightning stand at the ready and yet the Gardener would make them stay?"

She was momentarily silent, eyes closed and taking a deep, calming breath. "I will offer parley with King Gangrel."

"Oh no you won't." I rebuked. "**That** risk is bigger."

"Explain." she told me.

"The Fire Emblem." I stated with an extended pointing finger. "If that treasure, **your** treasure, falls into the wrong handsㅡalso known as Gangrel's handsㅡwe lose more than the thousands who live under your rule and care, O Exalt."

"It has been decided, already." she told me. "I will not have my nation march to war and I refuse to let Maribelle die."

I frowned and crossed my arms, staring at her. "Your Onmyoji can accompany me. If the Mad King starts conflict, you have my expressed permission to hunt as you please." she decreed. "As an added incentive, I offer seventy thousand gold."

"As you wish." I responded.

"I'm going too. Someone has to save you from your good intentions." Chrom added.

"Seventy thousand?!" Frederick strained. "Is that not a tad much?"

She simply smiled at me. "I trust it is enough to simply buy the good intentions of mercenaries from the land of Iron."

I smirked at her. "That's the language I understand."

XXXXXXXXX

**Support Conversations**

**Support Relationship: Ladon and Susannah**

Susannah, serious: "Hah! Hyah! Hoi!"

Ladon: "Practicing I see?"

Susannah: "Oh, hello Ladon."

Ladon, smiling: "Don't let me **stop** you. You actually have the form almost correct."

Susannah, nervous: "'Almost'?"

Ladon: "Well, you don't have to be a ballerina or anything of the sort, but you're too stiff, you can't move fast with a sword if you're just gonna be all hardened like that."

Susannah, nervous: "Maybe you could help me out?"

Ladon: "Alright, so you hold it like this…"

Susannah: "Right…"

Ladon: "Then you swing down using your shoulders more than your elbows and wrists."

Susannah, smiling: "Thank you."

Ladon, smiling: "Anytime."

*relationship increased to level C*

**Support Relationship: Ladon and Kirin**

Kirin: "Hmm…"

Ladon: "Hello Kirin."

Kirin, smiling: "Hi Ladon. Can I help you?"

Ladon: "I see that you're writing in that book of parchment there."

Kirin, smiling: "It's a passion of mine."

Ladon, smiling: "So that's why you're so literate. Do you always do this?"

Kirin: "Since I was a little squirt."

Ladon: "Really? Wow, and I can only assume that you've gotten better over that time."

Kirin, nervous: "Well, I've only started writing in this language recently. I write much better in Chonsin."

Ladon, smiling: "No harm, I can read Chonsin just fine. My sister, Hikari, is a savant at it."

Kirin, serious: "If you'll excuse me. I think I smell some burning."

Ladon: "Of course."

*relationship increased to level C*

**Support Relationship: Hikari and Chrom**

Hikari, serious: "And we just loop this one right...here…"

Chrom: "Oh, hello Hikari."

Hikari, smiling: "Ohayou."

Chrom, smiling: "What are you making with all of those flowers?"

Hikari, smiling: "I'm making you a crown."

Chrom: "For me?"

Hikari: "Yes, silly. You don't wear one."

Chrom, nervous: "Well, a crown was never really my style."

Hikari, smiling: "This one will be perfect then!"

Chrom, serious: "Oh boy…"

*relationship increased to level C*

**Support Relationship: Jonathan and Sarah**

Jonathan, smiling: "A glorious hello to you!"

Sarah, smiling: "Hello dorkla. What's up?"

Jonathan, nervous: "'Dorkla'? That's not so nice."

Sarah, smiling: "It's cute on you."

Jonathan: "But I'm not cute."

Sarah: "That's beside the point. What's up Jonathan?"

Jonathan: "Care to spar a bit?"

Sarah, nervous: "I might kill you by accident."

Jonathan, nervous: "Then use a different tome? Question mark?"

Sarah, serious: "No, I worked hard for this tome. And don't make me use one of your flimsy swords either."

Jonathan, serious: "Alright… this is gonna be tough."

*relationship increased to level C*

**Support Relationship: Ladon and Sarah**

Ladon: "Sarah, are you busy?"

Sarah, smiling: "Does talking to you count?"

Ladon, smiling: "I take that as a no. Care to spar?"

Sarah, nervous: "I don't mean to disappoint, but I'm not the best with the sword."

Ladon: "Well, I've seen that you're decent enough. Maybe I can help you."

Sarah, serious: "Tell anyone else what we're doing and you'll regret it."

Ladon, smiling: "Even if I did, they wouldn't care. But you have my word."

Sarah: "Let me get Godendag, we'll get started."

Ladon, smiling: "You got it."

*relationship increased to level C*


	8. The Exalt, the King, and the Foreigner

**Ladon POV**

"Ladon, hold on just a minute." Susannah called.

"I'm on the exalt's pay right now, Susannah, can't afford to be late."

She huffed and crossed her arms, looking away. "You jerk."

I held at the end of Ikralis' hilt, looking at her while I rested one arm upon the butt of the grip. "Susannah, be careful, okay?"

"What do you care? It's just money with you." she snapped.

"You're more powerful than all the money in the whole world." I professed, a straight face and soft eyes about me. "You just have to keep getting stronger."

Staring at me, she clenched her teeth. "I hate you. You try so hard to get me to care, then you leave."

"No, I'm moving at a faster pace than you are in the same direction." I corrected.

"Said pace being influenced by a hefty amount of gold." she snapped.

"The Omnyoji move now." I told her sternly, pacing away. "I'll see you on the battlefield."

She huffed and stormed away, judging from the sounds. Treading forward, I found Sarah leaning expectantly against a wall with her arms crossed to match the sly grin on her lips. Her red eyes met me as she stood upright. "Your girlfriend giving you trouble?" she asked admonishingly.

Exhaling a breath of laughter, I shook my head. "Come on. It's time to go. We've got seventy thousand riding on this."

She laughed a bit. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not." I told her, as if justifying a tall tale. "Royal money and everything. We've got some wicked cash in store on this one."

"Wait, you're serious?" she asked.

I stood still and drew out Ikralis, smirking and looking forward while using my other hand to amplify my voice. "She asked you a question." I called.

Emmeryn the Exalt sighed in exasperation, Phila the captain of the guard mounted on her pegasus to look down at me while the former sat, holding to her. "You brag too much, myrmidon."

I grinned wickedly. "I have every right. You become more attractive to me by the second with how much you offer."

"We both know this is more than a job for money to you." she clarified calmly.

"That's what makes me more **eager**." I answered. "When do we head out?"

"We head out immediately. Though you are eager, keep a slow pace for Chrom and the Shepherds." she directed.

"Come down for a moment for a gesture of romance." I called wildly, yet cooly.

"Behave." she scolded. "Phila."

"Yes Your Grace." Phila replied, flying off.

"You can't keep your manhood in check, can you?" Sarah admonished.

Calming down, I popped my neck. "I'd like to think I can. Where are the others?"

Kirin and Jonathan stepped up to us on his mare before the purple haired mage dismounted. "Where's Hikari?" I asked.

"Oniichan?" her little voice asked, her silky gloved hand clasping mine as I looked down at her.

She appeared so sad, almost nervous to ask me of something. I knelt to eye level with her, asking, "What's wrong?"

"Can I just stay here this time? I need a break." she asked tenderly, wrenching a wave of sensitivity from me.

"Go find Oneesan, they'll set you up with a room and stuff." I told her softly as she hugged me tightly, her arms wrapped around my neck.

"Don't go." she demanded.

"But I got to, it's seventy thousand."

"I don't care about money." she argued.

"I've actually been ordered, sis." I justified. "Look, we'll be back tomorrow afternoon and I won't leave your side all night."

She regressed back, big teary eyes gazing at me. "Oniichan…"

I frowned and wiped her cheeks of tears. "Hikari listen to me. This is…what I'm doing right now… this is the big job. Remember?"

"You mean…?" she began before being quiet.

"Yeah…" I answered. "I need to do this. Okay?"

She sniffled, nodding. "I love you...Ladon."

Very rarely did she ever call me Ladon, she picked up on Chonsin very quickly and she loved the language. She only called me that name when she was truly sad, or truly angry or afraid. This was one of those occasions. "And I love you, Hikari. And Susannah **really** likes you, like, a lot; you've seen the way she butters up for you?"

A broken smile formed and she giggled at me, as I continued. "And Lissa talks about how nice you look in those gloves and Miriel kinda scowls because Salvation is the best thing in the whole world."

She laughed a bit. "Ladon…"

"What is it?" I asked with a smile.

She grabbed and smothered me, cheek to cheek, warmth to warmth. Skin to tear damaged skin. I held her in return. "Come back soon, Oniichan."

She smelled so nice, the flowery scent of a pampered young princess. Her dress was soft, her skin and hair were fair. My little sister was a treasure unlike any gold or gem in the world. And I treasured her more than even my own life. Smiling and exhaling through my nose, I pressed my lips to her cheek. "I will." I promised her, standing up. "Go find Chrom and Susannah, they'll set you up with—."

"E-excuse me." a shy feminine voice called.

A jade haired athletic looking woman set down on a pegasus next to us, holding an iron lance close in the same fashion as a mother to her child. Her emerald eyes shimmered at me, and she murmured. "U-um...I'm lost."

I blinked in the oddity of my situation. "Could you—?"

"She said that she's lost." Sarah restated.

"C-can I...um...follow you?" she asked.

"She wants to follow us." Sarah echoed.

"Yeah, sure. Before you do, my little sister needs a room." I told her.

The green haired lady smiled and dismounted, clearing her throat against her fist. "She can use mine." she offered.

"Take her there, and be quick." I directed. "Name's Ladon. The little one's Hikari." I introduced as the pegasus rider extended a shaking hand.

"Helen." she introduced.

We shook hands and Helen took Hikari with her, as I took Ikralis back out. "Alright, listen up. Our target is the Plegian king, Gangrel. We don't act unless he acts first, and let's just face the fact that he **will**. We take him down, get our seventy thousand, then we come back and pick up Hikari."

"What if we don't catch him?" Sarah asked.

"If **we** don't, then **I** will." I clarified.

"I know of Gangrel." Kirin inserted with a raised hand, while I gave him my attention. "He's a madman, but he's also not one to play fair."

"I've wrestled down the Feroxi, by myself, I'm positive that a squadron of us will corner a snake." I assured him.

"You're more dead set this time." Jonathan added, gaining my attention shift. "The money getting to you?"

The wicked grin on my face was enough to say it all, before I answered, "Guess so."

"Should we get going now?" Sarah asked.

"You stay back and wait for Helen, and have her ferry you to us." I ordered. "Remember, fourteen thousand for each of us, split from the big payment. We **have** to be precise."

"Yeah yeah, you big baby." she retorted with a sneery grin.

"Alright. Let's roll."

XXXXXXXXX

**Susannah POV**

_This is such utter bullshit. "Oh, Susannah, I just wanna be your best friend. By the way, I'm leaving yours and Chrom's company for that fair haired __**hussy**__ with seventy thousand gold!" Well fuck you Ladon! Fuck you fuck you fuck you fu—!_ "Susannah." Chrom's voice called to me.

Shuddering out of my train of thought, I looked at him with a smile. "Yes Chrom?"

"I asked if you're ready." he told me. "It's a long march through the western mountains to the Plegian border."

"Yeah, I'm all packed and everything."

"I was referring to more than your packing." he specified. "One thing I've noticed is that you're a smart woman, but you can be very hot headed in terms of Ladon."

I frowned moodily, crossing my arms. "Well he just up and left at the drop of a coat." I complained.

"He may have taken a mission from Emmeryn but that doesn't mean he's gone. We have to show a decent amount of faith in him."

Pacing alongside him, I grumbled beneath audible words. "Still, that cretin needs to understand that he actually has an **effect** on people. He's not just wicked fighting style and a black sword, he leads those weirdos, who can very well **kill us**, onto the field and they—."

"Those Onmyoji aren't our enemy, Susannah." Chrom declared sternly, gazing at me with his navy irises, ablaze with oceanic emotion. "Ladon is odd, and secretive, but he has had plenty of opportunity to turn coat and he simply didn't. The Feroxi could have bribed him at the Longfort, the West Khan could have bribed him at Arena Ferox. He took a bribe from my own sister, who is on our side. Do you understand that we have nothing to fear from him?"

I grimaced at his words. "I'm sorry… Ladon just frazzles me." I confessed. "I don't hate him or anything but…"

He smiled humorously. "I ought to set you two up for a romantic evening."

I smirked. "That's a terrible idea."

"Captain!"

The two of us turned around to find a short, light brown haired boy with mage's robes and a wizard's hat on, just having finished jogging over to catch up with us due to his small lack of breath. A knapsack was on his back, and I could see he wanted to join us. "Captain, I'm all packed! When do we leave?!" he called out loudly in attention.

"Ricken, how did you…" Chrom began, his look hardening as he pondered momentarily. "Go back inside, you're not old enough for this mission."

"But captain!" Ricken the mage complained. "You know my skill with magic! You know I can handle myself!" he argued with a hardening countenance.

"I'd feel safer with your magic here, protecting the garrison." Chrom shot down mercifully, for I would have said less accommodating things. "Alright? We're off then, be good."

We strolled away as curiosity struck me. "So who was that kid?"

"Ricken is another one of our members." Chrom answered. "He's the son of a noble family but they lost most of their wealth, and he's trying to get them back up in the world. He studied relentlessly under the Mages' school and he **has** talent but he's just so…young."

I smiled and giggled at that comment. "He's like the angsty version of Hikari."

"I wouldn't go so far as to say 'angsty'." he retorted with a smile.

"Well obviously we think differently in some ways." I grinned with the words. "Like how I can see you and Sumia getting married."

He blushed red as he flinched in surprise. "Hey that's not funny!" he griped. "You're not Eros, you don't get to decide these things."

"I'm just trying to rustle you up." I justified my joke.

_Yeah you two are gonna have so much sex when I'm done with you._ _And then Ladon and I are_―_wait, shut up Susannah! This is no time to be thinking about Ladon and his… muscular frame and cool collective calmness. And that crisp red hair… and that one time when you caught him washing his hair after the scuffle in Southtown… _

My energetic and unbound anger began to subside as images of him flowed through my mind. He might chase after the money Emmeryn offered, but there's a genuine sensitivity he has for his sister. He trusts me with her life, even if he doesn't care about his own in this world; he might have been hardened by something: an event, a task, a failure, a loss… _Ladon… _

I pouted to myself, gritting my teeth at how powerless I am when he's on my mind. He's told me himself, I'm just as strong as he is, and I don't need him. I stand by that fact, I don't. "_I'm moving at a faster pace than you are in the same direction_." his words rang in my ears, as my pout curled into a smirk.

_We'll just see about that_.

XXXXXXXXX

**Ladon POV**

"So how long is the march?" Kirin asked.

Pegasi floated through the air above us, Helen ferried Sarah above us along with Phila and Emmeryn's envoy of four riders while Jonathan was on horseback with Kirin on the posterior half of the saddle. I was the only one on foot, as I turned my eyes to them. "It'll be a few more hours."

"This couldn't be more boring, I might as well try to have a conversation with Sarah." he griped.

Jonathan smirked at that remark. "Actually, that's kinda fun."

"I agree, Sarah's tons of fun to talk to. It's probably the fact that she doesn't wear a dress that gets to you." I confirmed.

Kirin blinked in confusion. "It is no such thing."

"Kinda threw **me** off." Jonathan threw out.

"I just didn't give a shit." I told them. "She fights good, and the black sword just helps her likeability."

"That's kinda racist." Kirin joked.

I smirked at his remark. "Shut up, I'm not racist, I dislike everybody."

"Hey, so do I! Ha ha!" Sarah called down from the sky.

Tilting my head upwards, taking a deep breath, I bellowed, "Kirin's jealous of you!"

Kirin flailed his hand about, calling up, "No I'm **not**!"

"Yeah y'are!" she retorted playfully. "Cuz you can't wield a sword for shit!"

Kirin sighed, smiling as I shouted out. "Hey where you going after the job?!"

"Wherever the ten K gold takes me!"

A grin came to life with my lips. "And what about you, Helen?! Want ten grand?!"

"Um, where's the gold coming from?" she asked.

"Exalt Emmeryn's pretty voluptuous pockets! Straight from the treasury of no less than a hundred thousand gold bars, and we get our grubby ale sticky fingers on the pot for the job!" I announced in the fashion of a festival cheerer. "We've got four people, and a fifth won't dent our wallets all that much!"

"Hey, don't lessen our cuts!" Jonathan complained.

"It's **my** money, and **I** pay you on this one." I retorted before returning my attention to Helen. "How 'bout it?! Omnyoji love flying things!"

"What's an Onmyoji?"

"Uh, it's what we all agreed on for our group name." Kirin answered. "Basically people with monstrous power."

"It sounds foreign." Helen commented.

"It's Chonsin!" I clarified. "And I don't want my voice to go down, try flying a bit lower!"

Moments later, Helen's mount descent to ground level, trotting on the other side of me from Jonathan's beast. She smiled bashfully. "Sorry, I love the sky."

"Nah, it's fine." I alleviated.

"Um… let me think about it for a while." she offered me. "What are you guys anyway?"

"A battle mage." Sarah tossed first.

"A storm caller." Kirin added.

"A horseman in the name of love." Jonathan flaired, a queer aura about him.

"We're mercenaries." I collected into two words. "Onmyoji. Monsters among men."

"But what about that little red haired girl?" she asked.

"Hikari's another of our members, and you already know she's my little sister."

"How does she fight?"

I smirked. "A light tome. One of very few in this world."

"I was wondering why her book pisses me off." Sarah joked with that serpentine grin of hers.

"You have to appreciate the quality of what we're dealing with here. It's some seriously rare stuff, the light element. Find Book of Naga, you got some, and even **more** good signs for yourself. Chrom can use that holy sword Falchion, sure, along with that weird ass Marth from Arena Ferox. But then there's the real stuff, like Salvation. We've got some seriously cool things up our sleeves."I justified.

"True." she agreed.

"Ladon." called Emmeryn as Phila descent with her, and the Exalt dismounted.

"Yeah." I answered the call.

"We wait for the Shepherds. They will serve as my shield." she decreed. "And I wish to speak to you alone."

"Jonathan, Helen, move back and bring Chrom and his men." I ordered one and requested the other.

Our eyes were focused on one another as Phila went her distance, and at the base of the mountain hurtle we stood. "What is it?" I broke the silence.

"Why are you here?" she demanded softly.

"You literally offered me seventy grand, I'm not going to―."

"You're going to do more than keep me alive."

Momentarily, I was silent, considering what she said and meant carefully. "Yes."

"What happens when you do it?" she inquired.

"I go back home. If the others follow me, that is their choice."

"Ladon… Do not refer to me as if you are a stranger." she commanded gently.

I sighed in contempt. "What we had was nothing. You were under attack and I killed your aggressors."

"You are not your father." she declared.

"I know I'm not my father." I confirmed. "I'm not burdened by loss."

"And you're capable of companionship."

"What's this about, Emmeryn?" I beckoned.

XXXXXXXXX

**Susannah POV**

Ladon stood with his arms crossed, watching closely in front of him like a metal spring ready to lash. Looking at him made me shiver, for he wasn't looking at Chrom, Emmeryn or Lissa. He gazed at the hill of stone that harbored two figures: a tan, white haired woman with a raven's feather full body ensemble standing next to a pompously white and yellow jesterly dressed tan man with a red wood color hair and a crown that denoted him as king. The three of exalted blood strut his way, as interactions began with their halt.

"What's this, then?" the King asked in a deranged, mocking tone. "The Exalt herself, in all her radiance? I fear I must shield my eyes!" he finished before a loud, slapstick chuckle.

"King Gangrel, I've come for the truth of this unfortunate incident between us." Emmeryn stated with a political grace unmatched by Chrom or any of us at this point.

"The truth? I can give you the truth." the tanned feather clad woman inserted.

Upon hearing her voice, I heard hastening breath from Ladon. Turning my head in concern, I beheld his eyes widening in astonishment as he breathed a bit faster. "Perhaps milady might first share her name?" Emmeryn responded with a question.

"Ladon, are you okay?" I asked.

"She… She attacked me once." he sputtered. "I almost lost my sister to her."

I held his shoulder gently, earning his attention to turn to me. "I don't see her here." I attempted to lift him up with words. "She's safe at the garrison."

Momentarily he continued to panic before calming down. "Forget the matter… I have to focus." he hardened as his blood seemed to boil.

"Who? Oh yes, that blonde little brat." Gangrel gained both of our attentions as a barbarian shoved Maribelle the blonde priss in front of him to show us her welfare.

"Unhand me you gutter born troglodyte!" the child shouted.

Ladon looked back, exchanging signals to his Onmyoji as he took Kirin and Sarah and they stalked away calmly and discreetly, but with great speed. Smirking, I sighed to myself. _Yeah that's Maribelle alright._ "Maribelle!"

Things might as well have become sisterly romantic with the expression of salvation and relief on Maribelle's pompous face. "Lissa? Darling is that you?"

"This girl crossed the Plegian border without our consent." the tan woman, whom I vaguely heard in the background of mine and Ladon's chat referred to as Aversa, explained to Emmeryn. "And what's more... She wounded the brave Plegian soldiers who sought only to escort her safely home." she finished with a sly smile.

"**LIES**!" Maribelle cried out. "You speak nothing but lies, hag! Did they not teach the meaning of the word 'truth' in wretched-crone school?!" she lectured with a thunderous energy.

The smile on Aversa's glistening white painted lips maintained while a momentary silence was followed by, "You see? No manners at all. Such a nasty little bird simply had to be caged."

"Such a violent temper speaks to her guilt." Gangrel spoke in, hand gestures and body language showing no real seriousness or guilt over the matter, earning a subtle scowl from me. "This will call for a weighty punishment. And if she were to later confess to being an Ylissean spy? My goodness!" he cried out mockingly with a hand over his mouth, yet he maintained audibility. "It would take an act of **CONSIDERABLE** good faith to repair our relations."

"I have done nothing wrong! It is they who should confess!" Maribelle demanded with increasing frustration over the matter. "They are the ones who invaded Ylisse. They razed an entire village! When I attempted to intervene, they took me and dragged me across the border." she continued, a hateful glare turning to Gangrel. "Let the plundered shops and charred homes of that village serve as my proof!"

I reached for the grip of my sword and refused to resist the need to pull it out. Instead, Jonathan's hand gripped my shoulder, and I looked at him. The blonde cavalier with oceanic eyes shook his head, his blue and white armor reflecting sunlight at the left section of his breastplate, forcing me to shield my left eye from the brightness. Begrudgingly, my iron sword slipped back into the scabbard. "That would only prove Ylisse has a bandit problem—something I hear oft of late." the Mad King mocked. "But indeed, tonight I shall weep salty tears into my pillow for your dead villagers."

"Your grace, please!" Maribelle begged.

"Peace, Maribelle. I believe you." Emmeryn assured Maribelle truthfully. "King Gangrel, I request that you release this woman at once. Surely you and I can sort out these affairs without the need of hostages."

Gangrel's frontage gave birth to a malevolent grin. "Oooooh, do I detect the coppery aroma of blood in the air? Where is he?"

"Where is whom?" Emmeryn retorted, in need of clarity.

"The hunter." he declared, if not by name.

"I watch over sheep." she argued. "I know no hunter."

"A black blade shaped like the grisly fingernails of death. I know the dragon he slew for it." he cackled. "His name was Ladon."

_Ladon was a dragon? Wait, is that not __**Ladon's**__ actual name?_ "Do not get off topic. The force you see alongside me is all there is here. We should continue our parley."

"Without so much as an apology? Why should I even bother with parley?" he laid out in discontentment. "I'm within my rights to have her head this instant and be home in time for supper."

"You black hearted devil!" Chrom insulted.

"First you have me hunted by Ladon's slayer and now your dog decides to bark." Gangrel spitefully listed. "Control your mongrel before he gets your friend hurt."

A growl from Chrom was followed by Emmeryn's, "Again, no one is hunting you."

"Well then, Your Graceliness, perhaps we can arrange a trade?" Gangrel offered. "You give me the Fire Emblem, and I return Mari Contrary here in one piece."

_So he was right, Gangrel __**does**__ want the Fire Emblem._ "You would ask for Ylisse's royal treasure? But why?"

"Because I know the legend!" Gangrel cried out at Emmeryn deliriously. "The Fire Emblem is the key to having all one's wishes realized. I have desired it for years. **YEARS**!" he continued playfully before he quieted down a bit, using his thumb and index fingertips into imaginary tears nonexistently streaming down his face. "Yet my birthday comes and goes each year, and nothing from Ylisse. Heheh…"

_Is this just a game to this fucking creep?_ "The Emblem's power is meant for a single purpose, King Gangrel: to save the world and its people at their hour of most desperate need." the Exalt inserted the point of debate. "Would you claim a more noble wish?"

His awful delirity flared up once more. "I want what every Plegian wants—a grisly end for every last Ylissean!" he declared before challenging her. "What could be more noble than that?"

_You're fucking __**dead**__. _"Steady, Susannah." Jonathan urged me.

"My fingers **itch**." I growled at him as I could feel myself bubble with raw vim.

"Be calm." he requested. "Please. Ladon's on this."

_Ladon if you don't fucking lob his head off right now, __**I will.**_"Your father named us heathens! His 'crusade' across Plegia butchered countless of my subjects and my kin!"

Emmeryn was under a lot of verbal abuse from this snake, but she didn't back down or flinch in her steadfast benevolence. "I have never denied Ylisse's past wrongdoings. But I have sworn to never repeat those mistakes. Ours is now a realm of peace." she declared in resolve.

"Yours is now a haven of hypocrisy! Now give me the Fire Emblem!" Gangrel demanded, negotiations and cooler heads falling apart.

"No, Your Grace! I'd sooner die than act as a bargaining chip for this filthy reprobate!" Maribelle declared with her priorities clear on her stance of the matter; not being spoiled and sensibly prejudiced like most nobles.

"No, Maribelle…" Emmeryn rejected.

"Ugh... Taaaaaalk talk-talk-talk-talk. It's time to speak louder than words!" the king demanded in annoyance of Emmeryn. "This negotiation is over, Your Luminosity! I shall have the Emblem if I have to pry it from your shiny dead hands!"

"Die." Ladon's voice commanded from behind them.

Gangrel gasped and turned around, unsheathing a particularly odd sword in the shape of a zigzag lightning bolt, seconds too slow before I caught a glimpse of Ladon. His whole person was shrouded in pink-orange flames and a malefic aura the likes of which I have never seen; the next thing I would see is a titanic blue thunderbolt striking down upon Gangrel. Having no choice, he raised his weapon to counteract the lightning bolt before Ladon's black blade Ikralis lashed out the Mad King's left eye. "Agh! **LIARS!**" he screamed. "Ladon's teeth come barred yet!"

"Run while you can, little rat." he told him. "Run as fast as you can." Ladon's eyes went soulless with raw murderous intent as the aura formed the face of a fanged demon. "Although I'll catch you quickly and kill you."

He shrieked in horror with one hand over the eye and the other backhandedly gripping the blade, leaping off of the hill straight up. A wyvern rider swooped down to catch Gangrel on the saddle before they flew away. "Sarah!" he signalled.

A pitch black titanic fist slammed into the brigand and sent him rocketing into the mountainside. Maribelle squealed in terror as the windforce blew her off of her feet. "Susannah! Catch her!" he shouted at me.

Improvisationally, my arms opened and ninety seven pounds of blonde loudmouth smothered me to the ground. "Susannah!" Chrom shouted.

Grunting, and looking down to check on her, I smiled at the results of my inquiry. "I've got her."

"**Kill him!**" Ladon's voice shouted angrily.

_Ladon?_

XXXXXXXXX

**Ladon POV**

This was it, the opportunity I've waited so powerfully long for. The blood in my veins heated my body to an all time blaze of energy as my body grit with readiness. "**LAY SIEGE! KILL THEM ALL!**"

"Oh no you don―." a tan skinned woman behind me interjected before I pencil turned.

"**SHUT THE FUCK UP!**" I commanded, backhand lashing Ikralis across the length of my wingspan.

The razor's edge bit into her, yanking some consequential blood from her body. Pacing back from lack of strength, her body fumbled off of the hillside and onto a black pegasus, embroidered in armor. _So she's a dark flier, a pegasus rider who can use magic and do twice as much as any other soldier in battle_. Slopping onto her pegasus properly, she braced tightly as she flew away. _They're getting away. Gangrel's probably gone, judging from how I let that little harlot sidetrack me. Why that slippery deranged_―. "**MOTHERFUCKER!**"

"Ladon!" Emmeryn's voice called out.

"Ladon?!" Chrom asked.

"L-Ladon!" Lissa cried out.

"**BE QUIET! YOU SIT THERE AND TALK WHILE THE ENEMY GETS AWAY! I AM HERE TO HUNT, NOT PROTECT CHILDREN!**" I screamed at them mercilessly.

Leaping off of the platform of stone, I landed on Jonathan's mare, right on schedule. "We can get him if I ride in fast enough." he suggested.

I said nothing for seconds on end until I swallowed spiteful saliva and simmered down a tiny bit. "A wyvern is too fast for you to keep up with, Jonathan. Our mission is to keep Emmeryn alive, by killing all of the—."

A scream of agony I knew all too well filled my ears, silencing all else. Scanning the direction it came from yielded the sight of a plegian myrmidon having already smite my sister with an iron sword. If not dead already, I could tell that from the way he swung, she would very damn well be close. "Hikari…" I whispered in shock.

"Hikari!" Jonathan called.

"Ride ride ride ride **RIDE YOU FUCKING IDIOT!**" I commanded. "**NOW!**"

His mare rode with hell's haste up the hill that led to a cluster of soldiers, tearing through them took minimal strength or effort from us as I leapt off and rushed to my wounded sister. "Hikari!" I bellowed. "**Hikari!**"

She was bleeding, this kind of wound would draw out the amount of blood needed to rob her of life within minutes due to the depth of the cut across her chest. "Oh gods, oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods **NO!**" I cried out, fear taking hold quickly.

"There he is! Get him!" a plegian's call reached.

Wrathful screaming preceded my volleying Ikralis resulting in the razor cleaving through a barbarian's body before a wicked pugilistic assault ferried my anger onto the next twelve men, five of them wyvern riders. Where conscience counseled my stopping at displaced joints, I didn't listen while breaking bones, sinew and spirit. Killing them with my bare hands took no effort, no dexterity, only brutality. Two minutes and forty five seconds with the breaking of spirit, less than that with the added snapping of bones and murdering men. Once done, I dashed to my little sister's side once more. An aquamarine light shone over her body, the work of a healing staff most like. My head whipped around to find the healer, only to see Lissa trembling as she worked her craft. She looked down at her patient as I beheld the closing of her wound and the revitalization of my sister.

"Get up, Ladon." Chrom's voice beckoned, a hand on my shoulder.

Slowly standing with Ikralis in hand, I turning around and viewed Susannah and Chrom standing side by side. "I… I was…" bubbled from my mouth.

"It's fine." Susannah assured me. "Let us take care of this, you shouldn't try to do everything yourself."

"I'm… I'm sorry, Chrom, Susannah, I didn't—."

Chrom smiled. "Relax. This is an Ylissean affair."

Small arms wrapped around me from behind. "Oniichan…"

I picked her up and held her. Our eyes locked and my heart soared. "Hi sis."

"Are you okay?" she asked, earning a chuckle from me.

"I should be asking you. Why are you here?"

"You were angry, Oniichan. I was worried."

"I'm fine, not a scratch on me."

She shimmered in her heartwarming way. "Good." hushed out. "But you've got a job to do… **We've** got a job to do."

A smile melted from me. "I can't do that. Besides, you stayed back so that you could avoid—"

"We can do it together…Ladon."

The heart warmed up, courage was regained. My name sounded surprisingly good from my sister's mouth as my hands released her and one gripped to the sword. "Chrom." I began.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Your sister saved mine's life. Therefore I will protect Emmeryn's with mine." a declaration rocketed along the current of my voice, blood boiling in my veins and vim climbing. "Follow me, Hikari."

"Hai."

Hurricane's zoom called out like the gong, wind force announcing our arrival as gloved hands and hushed chanting gilded Ikralis with an aura of light. "Gather, Onmyoji!"

Sarah brandished Godendag to my left, Kirin with Gedo to the right; riding on Sarah's following was Helen of the guard and along Kirin came the mare of a blonde Jonathan. "Disperse!" I commanded.

Hikari's weight fled from by back, leading to the unfurling of a small star upon the remnants of the plegian forces. With reimbursed sinew my body lifted from the ground, a gauntlet covered hand gripped to my forearm before Helen volleyed me further upwards, shouting, "Going up!"

The commanding officer of this ambush met my lunge through the air with his wyvern readied, axe brandished and mustache flowing in the wind infinitesimally. Gedo's blue levin whipped upon him furiously before my feet planted into a reptile's forehead, followed by the kiss of Ikralis to its greymatter. Descending from the sky, freefalling stopped with Helen catching me upon a pegasus before we journeyed earthbound. "I've got you, sir."

The enemy staggered up with his steel in hand before Jahannam's fist flirted with his pectorals violently, Sarah grumbling, "Not even worth it."

Next, a domino effect caused the afterbite of Jonathan's pike to draw more blood from the slashed trapezius. "Ew." he complained, flicking the blood from his lance.

Leaping from the mount, I beheld Hikari's Salvation volleying him into the lash of a regal lance upon the trapezius. "Now, Ladon!"

"Die." I commanded, planting my weight upon him in order to pin him to the earth, running my blade through his heart.

XXXXXXXXX

**Susannah POV**

"You're just a big showoff." I chided, pacing alongside him.

Ladon smirked as if he was humored. "I didn't show off though. I just kicked his ass."

"But you collaborated with all of your Onmyoji and everything!"

"So? You could with all of them Shepherds if you want to."

"Wha—?! **No I can't!**"

"Yes, you can. Practice with one person at a time, get everybody acclimated to the same pace as you."

"We're not a pack of **sled dogs**." I argued.

"Well yeah, you're standing on two legs." he snarked.

I squinted. "You fucker."

"Hey, watch your language, there are ladies and children present." he chided with a neutral countenance.

"Sorry." I apologized.

Chrom and the Shepherds were further behind, the royal guard and Emmeryn closer following. We marched front, "we" being the Onmyoji and myself for conversation. "It's fine, just be more mindful. We're not in Ferox."

"What, do we just get to curse our heads off in Ferox?"

"It's one of the unwritten laws, a commandment if you will. 'Thou shalt speak sailors' tongues'." the myrmidon grinned with his words.

"Oh hah hah, you're funny."

"Well I know I'm funny."

"Sarcasm, you fool." I snapped.

"Well look, I think we had better get focused above all else, Susannah. Gangrel's gonna cause us some real shit."

A question birthed inside, tugging at my heartstrings. "What's the deal with Gangrel?"

"Didn't he just try to kill all of you?"

"You know what I mean."

His countenance hardened. "I'm not answering that question, Susannah."

"Come on."

"It's personal. No."

"Family?"

Eyes harboring the **inferno** glared at me. "Yeah."

Reeling back, my hands rose defensively. "Okay. Okay."

"Excuse me, Ladon?"

Swooping down to a hovering level, a green haired pegasus rider smiled to him. "We worked really good, yeah?"

A haughty grin easily brightened his frontage. "You kidding? Your aerodynamics were literally the key to downing him. It's a shame you won't join us."

"I said I'd consider it, boss." she replied with a petite smile and flushed cheeks.

"Welcome to the Onmyoji." he congratulated. "Our pay is bigger, our people are odder and by the end of the week you'll be enjoying the subtle mixture of mercenary and soldier work."

_Are you fucking kidding me? No, kidding is __**funny**__. _"You got...another member…?"

Blood boiled. "Yeah."

The flier blinked and whispered. "I don't think she likes that, sir."

"I'm tough enough to deal with her, and she's paranoid." he responded to her concern.

A blade touched the nape of my neck. "And dead, if you do something stupid."

"Why do you always do that?" my question growled out in tension to rival the Earth's mantle.

"He's fun to talk to, and he pays." Sarah answered.

Ladon's smirk led to snapping fingers and pointing an index finger to her. "Thanks, Sarah."

"No problem, pal."

Still frowning at him, my blood cooled from a molten boil. "You're gonna mutiny."

"Not necessarily." the leader responded with a haughty grin.

"'Not necessarily', my ass."

"I'm not joking." his countenance bore neutrality. "Chrom and Emmeryn are good employers. I need the money."

"Back to money, huh?"

"Is there something else you expect? You're always getting mean with my crew, you never actually **work** with us. Maybe if you did, you'd get something better than mercenaries with us."

Huffing escaped me. "I know."

"That's **literally** it. Work with us, not just the Shepherds. That's how you'll get Harmony." he stated. "We're almost at Ylisstol. Tell Chrom I'll be speaking to Emmeryn when we arrive."

"What for?" I asked.

"Professional business."

My brow cocked. "'Business.'" I repeated.

"No, I take it back, I'm gonna get my money and divide it among my members. Then I'm gonna just do my own thing, **then** business." he corrected. "But tell Chrom I'll be busy."

Sighing took hold of me before the nod, eyes closed. "Yeah, yeah."

"Thank you."

It took him mere seconds to march off away from me, my mind and heart felt so… **sour**.

XXXXXXXXX

**Support Conversations**

**Support Relationship: Ladon and Jonathan**

Ladon: "Jonathan."

Jonathan, smiling: "Hello, Ladon."

Ladon, smiling: "You've got me impressed, the way you fight is good."

Jonathan, nervous: "It's nothing. I'm just a cavalier."

Ladon: "You shouldn't down yourself. Aside from myself and Sarah, you're the best fighter I've got."

Jonathan, smiling: "Well, would you care to eat with me?"

Ladon, smiling: "Of course."

*relationship increased to level C*

**Support Relationship: Ladon and Helen**

Helen, nervous: "Um, Ladon?"

Ladon: "No need to be is it?"

Helen, embarrassed: "I don't want to cause you any trouble."

Ladon, smiling: "Relax. Just tell me."

Helen, serious: "I want to get better at fighting."

Ladon, nervous: "That's all? I thought you broke something."

Helen, smiling: "No, I'm not clumsy."

Ladon: "Well, grab a practice lance. I'll help you as much as possible."

Helen, serious: "Thank you, boss."

*relationship increased to level C*

**Support Relationship: Ladon and Hikari**

Hikari: "Oniichan?"

Ladon: "What is it, Hikari?"

Hikari, nervous: "Am I not helpful in fights?"

Ladon, serious: "You're just as helpful as any other mage of your level. You just gotta be careful, you can die out there."

Hikari, serious: "I know. I'm sorry, Oniichan."

Ladon, smiling: "Don't be sorry. Be careful."

Hikari, smiling: "Hai."

*relationship increased to level C*

**Support relationship: Sarah and Hikari**

Sarah, smiling: "Little Hikari."

Hikari, smiling: "Ohayou."

Sarah, smiling: "You did good in the last battle, cutie."

Hikari, embarrassed: "Th-thank you."

Sarah, serious: "But the bad guys'll only get tougher. You need practice."

Hikari, nervous: "But light magic defeats dark magic, you'll be at a disadvantage if we practice."

Sarah, humored: "I have faith in my abilities. Let's go."

Hikari, serious: "Hai."

*relationship increased to level C*

**Support Relationship: Sarah and Helen**

Sarah, serious: "Just gotta...rrg."

Helen: "You look like you're having trouble, Sarah."

Sarah, serious: "Just this needlework being difficult."

Helen, smiling: "You're trying to sew something?"

Sarah: "My cape got torn at the collar. I dunno how to sew well."

Helen, smiling: "I can sew it for you."

Sarah, nervous: "Be careful. It's literally the only article of clothing I like."

Helen, smiling: "Okay."

*relationship increased to level C*

**Support Relationship: Ladon and Sarah**

Sarah: "Yo, Ladon."

Ladon: "What's up, Sarah?"

Sarah: "I have a question, it's been kinda on my mind."

Ladon, nervous: "No, I didn't buy any beer."

Sarah, serious: "Where are we going after we're done in Ylisse?"

Ladon, serious: "'We' depends on if you want to go where I'M going."

Sarah, embarrassed: "I don't want to go back to Plegia."

Ladon: "Plegia?"

Sarah, serious: "Do NOT tell anybody."

Ladon, smiling: "Only ones that would care would be Chrom and the Shepherds. Again, though, you have my word."

Sarah, embarrassed: "Good. I'll kill you if you do."

*relationship increased to level B*


End file.
